The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it seized 14,481,519 pills of hard drugs with a street value of N13 billion in Amuwo Odofin and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State.
The agency also arrested no fewer than 10 suspects among which were three blind men and one businessman among others, for allegedly trafficking drugs.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
The spokesperson disclosed that the tramadol pills and bottles of codeine syrup were discovered following raids of different hideouts of drug cartels in Amuwo Odofin, Surulere, and Skyway Aviation Handling Company warehouse at the Lagos airport in the state.
He stated that, “no less than 14, 481, 519 pills of tramadol and bottles of codeine syrup worth over N13 billion in street value have been recovered by operatives of the NDLEA, in three major busts of drug cartels operating in Amuwo Odofin, Idumota and the SAHCO shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos.
“The three intelligence-led operations began with the raid of House 8/10 Hon. Wahuha Avenue, Divine Estate, Ago Palace area of Amuwo Odofin on Sunday 29th October, where 490,000 pills of tramadol and 81,519 bottles of codeine syrup measuring 4, 510, 000mls were recovered.
“In a similar operation last Tuesday, NDLEA operatives swooped on a secret warehouse operated by a billionaire Idumota trader, Nwaoha Anayo located at Onitire, Aguda area of Surulere where 12,700,000 pills of tramadol were recovered.”
The spokesperson added, “In the same vein, at least six members of a syndicate using their official cover to facilitate the smuggling of illicit drugs through the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) warehouse at the Lagos airport into the country have been arrested and 1,210,000 pills of tramadol seized from them in a painstaking operation that lasted for weeks.
“The six suspects already in NDLEA custody include Oladele Sanya-Olu; Lawal Itunu Temitope; Sanamo Alla Daniel; Udeh Felix Monday; Musa Mutalib and Unege Evans Icibor, while three other suspects: Sarki Mubarak Salami; Abdullahi Aliyu (aka Aboki); and Monday Anwal, are now on the run and wanted by NDLEA.”
Babafemi noted that a businessman, Nwokolo Ifeanyi Anthony, was arrested at the Abuja International Airport while trying to board a flight to the Netherlands with 86 pellets of heroin concealed in his belly.
“The suspect who travelled from Lagos to board the flight was subsequently kept under observation for some days during which he excreted a total of 86 pellets of heroin weighing 1.330 kilogrammes.
”In another operation by the NDLEA operatives, 22 parcels of cocaine concealed in a fabric carton were intercepted by the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation team attached to courier firms.
“Similarly, NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, attached to courier firms on Monday 30th October intercepted 22 parcels of cocaine concealed in the walls of a carton containing sewn local fabrics popularly called Aso Oke, heading to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,” the statement noted.
Also, three blind men operating a drug trafficking ring between Lagos and Kano were arrested at different locations across the country while the Osun State Command of the agency destroyed six hectares of cannabis farm.
