NDLEA intercepts 649,300 capsules of Tramadol, Heroin at Lagos airport

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted at least, 649,300 capsules of Tramadol 225mg and €809,850 among consignments from Pakistan, Austria and Italy at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

Spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said on Sunday in Abuja that various quantities of Heroin and other illicit drugs were also blocked from being exported to the United States, United Kingdom and Canada by operatives at the same airport.

According to him, at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company cargo warehouse at the airport, anti-narcotics officers seized 649,300 capsules of Tramadol 225mg weighing 460.95kg which was imported from Pakistan via Addis Ababa through Ethiopian Airline on February 16 and a suspect, Nwadu Ekene Christian was arrested in connection with the seizure.

On the same day, a female passenger, Ms Ayeki Happy, who arrived at the airport from Italy on a Turkish Airline flight was arrested with €69,850 concealed in her luggage.

This was four days after another lady, Precious Idahagbon was arrested with €740,000 hidden in her luggage and undeclared upon her arrival at the airport from Vienna, Austria via Istanbul, Turkey.

“Both cash seizures are currently under investigation to establish if they are proceeds of drug business,” Babafemi said.

At the NAHCO export shed of the airport, operatives seized a consignment of 131 parcels of cannabis concealed in packages of black soap, during outward clearance of cargo going to the UK.

This is as another consignment presented for export to Dubai, UAE at the NAHCO shed was also recovered after 30 parcels of cannabis hidden in cartons of cornflakes were discovered in it.

Also, not less than 6.5kgs of heroin, Khat and oxycodone packaged for export to the USA, and Canada, concealed in shoes, and carton walls, were seized at a major courier company in Lagos by operatives of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigations (DOGI) of the NDLEA.

In Kano, a 34-year-old man, Nasiru Abdulrahman was arrested with 476kgs of cannabis at Kwanar Dan Gora, Kiru local government area of the state on February 25, while in Adamawa, 4,000 tablets of Tramadol 225mg were seized from Abdulmuminu Abubakar, 24, who was arrested at Gidan Madara, Mubi North LGA on February 22, while travelling on a motorcycle to deliver the drugs in Bukula, Cameroon Republic.

Abubakar claimed that another suspect, Fahad Mohammed, 19, gave the consignment to him. Fahad was later arrested in a follow-up operation at his home in Kasuwan Borkono Area of Mubi town.

In Abuja, two consignments were intercepted from transport vehicles in Abaji area of the FCT; while the first contained 12kg cannabis, the second had 356kg of the same substance.

A follow-up operation in Kaduna led to the arrest of the owner of the 356kg cannabis, Ayomide Adewale, 29.