NDLEA intercepts 13.2m opioid pills worth ₦9bn in Port Harcourt

In a significant operation, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted over 13.2 million opioid pills, including Tramadol and other dangerous substances, at the Port Harcourt Ports in Onne, Rivers State.

The seizure occurred during a thorough examination of three containers arriving from India on October 2nd and 3rd.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi reported that authorities also confiscated 338,253 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup, with the total street value of the drugs estimated at a staggering ₦9.02 billion.

This operation, executed in collaboration with Nigerian Customs and other port stakeholders, represents a crucial victory in the ongoing battle against drug smuggling, as the intercepted substances were destined for Nigeria’s black market.

READ ALSO: NDLEA seizes 1,045.93kgs of illicit substances, nabs 420 suspects in Kaduna

The crackdown didn’t stop in Rivers; on October 3rd, NDLEA officers in Taraba intercepted a commercial bus traveling from Onitsha to Jalingo, discovering large quantities of opioids, including tramadol and codeine syrup, hidden within the vehicle. Two suspects, Pako Thomas and Emmanuel Anyigor, were arrested in connection with this haul.

Additionally, in Wukari, authorities apprehended Chibuzor Okafor on October 2nd with 80 blocks of cannabis weighing 38 kilograms, cleverly concealed in bags of garri, a popular Nigerian food.

In Lagos, Bolanle Ajenifuja was arrested on October 4th with 700 liters of “skuchies,” a dangerous mix of illicit drugs. On the same day, three other suspects—Ezekiel Akpele, Elijah Michael, and Goddard John—were caught during a raid on cannabis farms straddling Edo and Ondo states, leading to the destruction of over 9,966 kilograms of cannabis across three hectares.

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman and CEO of the NDLEA, commended the agency’s officers for their unwavering commitment to fighting drug trafficking and abuse.