NDLEA intercepts 7.5m tramadol pills at Lagos airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have intercepted 7.5 tramadol pills at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the attempt by a syndicate to smuggle the drugs into the country through the NAHCO import shed of the airport were frustrated by NDLEA officers with the cooperation of men of the Nigeria customs.

He said the consignment was taken into custody on December 22 and came onboard Turkish airline with no country of manufacture or origin.

The spokesperson said it was the first time such shipment would be seized on a flight coming from Hamburg, Germany.

“The 7.5million tramadol 225mg pills were also specially designed and packaged as tamol-x concealed in 100 big cartons weighing 7,150kg, which arrived the country on 11th December and placed under surveillance until last Friday. Preliminary test of the tablets proved positive to tramadol hydrochloride,” the statement reads.

“In the same vein, operatives of the Lagos Command of the Agency on Wednesday 20th December conducted a search operation on two shops marked Chex Mat Global Link Limited at Trade Fair complex in Ojo area of Lagos where 258 cartons of codeine-based cough syrup and eight cartons of codeine tablets were recovered.

“The cartons contain: 49, 200 bottles of codeine syrup and 46, 200 tablets of same opioid. The following day Thursday 21st December, NDLEA operatives raided a house in Mushin area of Lagos where a 70-year-old grandma, Selifat Funke Cole and her son, Babajide Ayorinde Cole were arrested with 117.900kg of cannabis sativa.”

Babafemi said a consignment of spare parts that originated from Asaba, Delta state and heading for Malviya Nagar, New Delhi, India was also intercepted at the cargo terminal of the Lagos airport on December 20.

“NDLEA sniffer dogs were deployed to examine the spare parts. The dogs were able to identify the particular shipment containing illicit drug concealment, which a physical examination later confirmed to be cocaine measuring 200grams,” the statement reads.

“Not less than 70 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, with a gross weight of 35kg were seized by operatives of the Tincan Command of NDLEA from a container, marked BEAU 4993525 coming from Toronto via Montreal, Canada.

“The container contained four used vehicles, including a Honda CRV 2006 model, where bags of the psychoactive substance were concealed.

“In the FCT Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Monday 18th December intercepted a waybill consignment of 25,000 pills of tramadol, while their counterparts in Anambra arrested two suspects at Onitsha head bridge.

“Ejiro Emmanuel was driving a bus marked EFR 31 XB conveying 61,100 tramadol capsules; 1, 025 bottles of codeine; 1,350 tablets of rohypnol and 46grams of designer drug, while Daniel Ogbiyoyo was caught in a bus marked SAP 540 YK conveying 55,950 tramadol capsules; 3,117 bottles of codeine; 1,530 tablets of swinol and 1,350 tablets of rohypnol.”