By Abubakar Yunusa
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized a large consignment of codeine syrup at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne, Rivers State.
The operation, conducted on Saturday, June 29, 2024, uncovered 6,125 cartons containing 1,050,000 bottles of codeine, valued at over N7.35 billion.
This successful interception followed weeks of diligent tracking and intelligence gathering by a special NDLEA unit.
Working in collaboration with the Port Harcourt Ports Command and other security agencies, including the Customs Service, the NDLEA carried out a comprehensive examination of six targeted containers.
Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy for NDLEA, disclosed in Abuja on Sunday that the agency had conducted the operation as part of its ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking.
Meanwhile, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, NDLEA officers arrested two passengers on a Qatar Airways flight to Doha. The suspects, Aikhomoun Daniel (alias Oladapo Olanrewaju) and Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji, were found to have ingested illicit substances. Daniel excreted 90 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.022 kg, while Ayigoro discharged 60 wraps weighing 662 grams. Investigations revealed Daniel had used his late uncle’s identity to obtain a Schengen visa.
In a separate incident on June 28, 2024, NDLEA operatives recovered 40.32 kg of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, from an abandoned Toyota Tacoma truck along Lekki-Ikoyi Road after the driver fled the scene.
In Abuja, NDLEA disrupted a drug party on June 28, 2024, arresting 60 suspects, including 25 males and 35 females, at an apartment in Sun City estate. The event, organized by Stanley Ikechukwu, was dubbed “Go Hard or Go Home, Pick Your Poison.” Six suspects were found with ecstasy and cannabis. NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) ordered the release of 20 suspects who tested negative for drugs, while the 33 who tested positive were granted bail and will undergo treatment and counseling.
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives arrested four suspects and destroyed 18,632.22 kg of cannabis on 7.45 hectares of farmland during a raid on a cannabis farm in Ugun, Igueben LGA.
Brig. Gen. Marwa praised the officers involved in these operations and warned drug cartels that the agency remains vigilant and dedicated to thwarting their activities. He urged NDLEA officers to continue their balanced approach to drug control.
