- This comes just a week after a similar seizure in Rivers State
On Friday, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency intercepted a shipment of 175,000 bottles of codeine from India, heading to Enugu State. This comes just a week after a similar seizure in Rivers State.
Additionally, the anti-narcotics agency arrested a Nigerien national for concealing drugs in pesticide tanks and apprehended 19 others during multiple raids nationwide.
In a statement on Sunday, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, reported that the NDLEA Directorate of Operations and General Investigation also intercepted illicit drugs concealed in synthetic hair and ladies’ clothes intended for shipment to the United States.
Regarding the intercepted codeine shipment, Babafemi explained that the agency acted on intelligence, leading to the thorough examination of a container marked HASU 4787890 from India, which was en route to the C to C Bonded Terminal in Enugu.
He explained, “The two seizures followed earlier intelligence, which made the agency request that the shipment be stepped down for 100 per cent examination. The latest seizure of 875 cartons of codeine containing 175,000 bottles and weighing 26,250kg, was made on Friday, June 7, 2024, during a joint examination by the NDLEA, customs service and other security agencies. The container marked HASU 4787890 from India was en route C to C Bonded Terminal in Enugu.”
On the seizure of drugs concealed in synthetic hair, Babafemi stated, “The NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation on Wednesday, June 5, intercepted five different parcels containing illicit drugs concealed in ladies’ clothes and synthetic hair going to the United States and the United Kingdom.
“Some of the seized drugs include 620 ampoules of pentazocine injection, promethazine and other opioids. The drug consignments were seized at a courier firm in Lagos.”
Explaining the arrest of the Nigerien, Hassan Mummuni, the agency’s Director of Advocacy noted that the suspect was arrested with 4,000 pills of diazepam and 1.250kg of cannabis along the Kalgo-Birnin Kebbi Road on Saturday.
He added that one Ibrahim Abubakar was also arrested in Gombe on the same day with 6,740 pills of tramadol and 20,000 tablets of diazepam while no fewer than 1,098 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from a suspect, Onyekachi Iwula, after his arrest in a commercial bus at Aloma junction, Otukpa, Ogbadibo LGA, Benue State.