The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 2.2 million pills of tramadol valued at ₦3.99 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, arresting an Indian businessman, Gupta Ravi Kumar, and three Nigerians linked to the smuggling ring.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement on Sunday that the drugs, disguised as multivitamins, were imported from Delhi, India, in 114 cartons aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight that arrived last Monday.
According to Babafemi, NDLEA operatives placed the consignment under surveillance and arrested a clearing agent and two drivers attempting to move the shipment in two trucks on Thursday. A follow-up operation the next day led to Gupta’s arrest when he came to take delivery.
In separate operations at the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers intercepted 900 grammes of cannabis concealed in crayfish in the luggage of a passenger, Onyeganochi Ifeanyi, heading to Doha. His confession led to the arrest of an accomplice, Ohadiegwu Uchenna, and the recovery of more drugs from his hotel room.
At Tincan Port, Lagos, 161 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 81.7kg and 1.2kg of hashish oil were seized from a container of vehicle spare parts from Canada. Two suspects were arrested, while another 65kg consignment of Canadian Loud was intercepted on the Third Mainland Bridge, with the driver, Abubakar Ibrahim, taken into custody.
NDLEA operatives also uncovered a factory in Ikorodu producing “skuchies” — a cocktail of cannabis and blackcurrant drink. Over 6,000 bottles and 4,232kg of cannabis were recovered, and the factory manager, Joy Awosika, arrested.
Similar raids were carried out in Abuja, Kano, Oyo, Anambra, Yobe, Ogun and Edo states, where tonnes of cannabis and other narcotics were seized and suspects apprehended. In Edo, 16.9 tonnes of cannabis were destroyed on a plantation covering nearly seven hectares.
Commending the officers for the nationwide operations, NDLEA Chairman, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), urged them to sustain the “balanced approach” in tackling drug trafficking through both enforcement and sensitisation under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
