The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized illicit drugs valued at over ₦3.2 billion in two major operations conducted at the Port Harcourt Port Complex in Rivers State and the Apapa Port in Lagos.
In a statement released on Sunday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA disclosed that 3 million pills of tapentadol and Carisoprodol Royal 225mg, worth an estimated ₦2.1 billion, were discovered during a joint container examination at the Port Harcourt port on May 14. The container had been placed on a watch list based on credible intelligence.
In a separate operation on May 13, operatives at the Apapa Port intercepted another container falsely declared to contain new car parts. A joint security examination revealed 169,800 bottles of codeine syrup, with a street value of over ₦1.1 billion, concealed within the shipment from India.
In addition to the port operations, the NDLEA’s Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted 250 grams of cocaine on May 16 at a courier company in Lagos. The drug was hidden inside female headgear bound for Australia.
Meanwhile, NDLEA officers on routine patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway arrested Ismail Isah, 29, who was found with an AK-47 rifle and two loaded magazines concealed in a sack of maize. The suspect has been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.
Other notable arrests include:
Shafiu Ismail, 22, arrested on May 15 in Taraba State with 5,350 pills of tramadol and diazepam.
Tijjani Mohammed, 35, apprehended in Jigawa State with 198kg of cannabis (skunk) at Malamawa, Garki LGA.
The NDLEA reaffirmed its commitment to intensifying efforts in disrupting drug trafficking networks and securing Nigeria’s ports, highways, and communities from the threat of illicit substances.
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