Operatives of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a young lady, identified as Ms. Ebhodaghei Gloria Osenemeshen, with illicit drugs at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
She was arrested on Monday, July 25, during the outward clearance of travellers on Rwanda Air via Kigali to Dubai, UAE.
NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, July 31, said the sachets of Tramadol 225mg concealed inside garri were discovered in her luggage.
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“She however claimed that the bag was given to her by someone who she passed the night in his house before coming to the airport to help deliver to another person in Dubai,” he said.
In another discovery, no fewer than Two Million Seven Hundred and Fifty (N2,750,000) tablets of Tramadol 225mg weighing 1,650 kilograms worth One Billion Three Hundred and Seventy Five Million Naira (N1, 375, 000,000) was intercepted at the Apapa port in Lagos by the operatives.
According to Babafemi, the consignment packed in 55 cartons of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol types of Tramadol was seized during examination of a container in umber SUDU 7538656 on Saturday 30’h July following credible intelligence.
This comes on the heels of similar efforts by anti-narcotic officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, lkeja that thwarted bids by drug traffickers to export various psychoactive substances to London, UK and Dubai,UAE through the Lagos airport in the past week. At least, five suspects have so far been arrested in connection to the attempts.
Elsewhere, in Adamawa state, four notorious drug dealers in Konkol and Belel, two villages at Nigeria – Cameroon border were arrested for exporting and retailing Tramadol and importing Diazepam into the country. The suspects include: Kabiru Ahmadu; Eric Emil; Abdulmumini Bapetel and Alphonsus Yusuf.
A total of 59.01Bkg Tramadol, Diazepam, Exol-5, Cannabis Sativa and two jerry cans of formalin substance (Suck & Die) were recovered from them.
In Kebbi, no less than 4,010 ampoules of pentazocine injection were seized on Friday 29th July when a commercial vehicle with registration number Sokoto RBA 220 XA was intercepted along Yawuri – Kebbi road and two suspects: Muktar Yunusa, 26 and Lukman Aliyu, 30, arrested. Similarly, a raid operation in Oko-Olowo area of llorin on Tuesday 26th July led to the arrest of Onaola[po Zakari Yau, 50, with 79kg cannabis sativa.
Also in Abuja, 90 blocks of cannabis (48.2kg) and 700grams of methamphetamine were intercepted at the Jabi motor park while at least a suspect has been arrested in connection with the drug exhibits. And in Kano, 51 suspects were arrested in a raid at Sky restaurant in Nasarawa area of the state on Friday July 29.
The suspects were caught with various quantities of cannabis and codeine based cough syrup.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of Apapa seaport, MMIA, Adama wa, Kebbi, Kwara, Kano, and FCT Commands for their vigilance and commitment.
He urged them and their colleagues across the country not to rest on their oars but remain resolute in pursuit of the Agency’s goal of ridding Nigeria of illicit substances.
