NDLEA seizes over 200,000 tramadol tablets in raids across four states

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has seized 203, 879 tablets of tramadol as well as various pharmaceutical opioids and illicit substances in raids across Abia, Kaduna, Yobe and Kogi states.

Femi Babafemi, NDLEA director of media, made this known in a statement on Sunday.

The agency said it also intercepted drug dealers attempting to export illegal drugs, including cannabis, to Milan, Italy and Dubai through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos.

“At the Lagos airport, a female passenger, Odia Emiliana Efe was arrested on Monday 9th May while trying to board Royal Air Maroc flight from Lagos via Casablanca to Milan, Italy with 1000 tablets of Tramadol 200mg concealed in food items,” the statement reads.

“Five days after, Friday 13th May, a freight agent Kareem Ibrahim was arrested at the SAHCO cargo shed of the airport for attempting to export food items in which were hidden blocks of cannabis weighing 6.65kg and 24grams of ecstasy drug, MDMA to Dubai in UAE.

“In Abia, three trucks loaded with drugs coming from Lagos and Onitsha, Anambra were intercepted in Aba, Abia state. When properly searched in the presence of the owners on Wednesday 11th May, 67,100 tablets/capsules of Tramadol and 12,650 ampules of pentazocine, morphine and dopamine were recovered.”

The NDLEA said its operatives also arrested one Shehu Kabiru, a “notorious” drug dealer in Kaduna.

The agency recovered from him: “45,000 tablets of Diazepam weighing 41.5kg; 50,000 tablets of Exol, weighing 15.6kg; 1,500 tablets of Rohypnol weighing 700 grams and 300 bottles of codeine weighing 41.5kg.”

“In Yobe state, no fewer than 7,029 tablets of Tramadol, D5, and Exol as well as 1.5kg cannabis were recovered from a drug dealer, Ibrahim Yakubu when his hideout was raided in Unguru town on Sunday 8th May, while in Rivers state, one Chekiri Richard Obomanu was arrested at Eleme area on Wednesday 11th May with 207.2kg cannabis,” the statement added.

“No less than 19,600 tablets of Tramadol coming from Onitsha, Anambra state to Abuja were intercepted and recovered along Okene/Abuja highway on Wednesday 11th May by NDLEA operatives in Kogi state.”