The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted seven watch-listed containers with N9.3 billion worth of opioids and codeine based syrup at the Port Harcourt Port Complex (PHPC) in Onne.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said that the containers were positioned for joint examination by NDLEA, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other security agencies.
“At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state, no fewer than seven watch-listed containers were positioned for joint examination by NDLEA officers, men of Custom Service and other security agencies between Wednesday 28th and Friday 30th May, during which 825,200 bottles of codeine based syrup and trodol worth Five Billion Seven Hundred and Seventy Six Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira Only (N5,776,400,000) in street value were seized while a total of Five Million One Hundred Thousand (5,100,000) pills of opioids especially tapentadol 225mg worth Three Billion Five Hundred and Seventy Million Naira Only (N3,570,000,000) were recovered. This brings the combined street value of the opioids to Nine Billion Three Hundred and Forty-Six Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira Only (N9,346,400,000.00),” he stated.
Compressed blocks of skunk
In another development, a total of 390 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis, were recovered by the NDLEA operatives.
Babafemi said that the drugs, which weighed 275.300kg, were recovered from a parked Toyota Sienna vehicle marked YLA-408GG along Ngurore-Yola road, Adamawa, on Tuesday, May 27.
“While a total of 390 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 275.300kg were recovered from a parked Toyota Sienna vehicle marked YLA-408GG along Ngurore – Yola road, Adamawa state on Tuesday 27th May, NDLEA operatives in Kwara on Saturday 31st May arrested a notorious female drug dealer, Alhaja Mutiat Abdul-Fatai at Oja Oba area of Ilorin where various quantities of opioids including tramadol, flunitrazepam and codeine-based syrup were seized from her,” he stated.
Counterfeit cash in Kano
The agency has also arrested two suspects in Kano State found in possession of $900,000 cash suspected to be counterfeit.
The suspects, identified as Abubakar Hussein (42) and Sahabi Adamu (53), were intercepted along the Kano-Maiduguri Road on Friday, May 30, during a routine patrol by NDLEA personnel.
“In another operation in Kano, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kano- Maiduguri road, Friday 30th May, intercepted the duo of Abubakar Hussein, 42, and Sahabi Adamu, 53, with Nine Hundred Thousand US dollars ($900,000) cash suspected to be counterfeit. The suspects and the exhibit will be transferred to the appropriate agency for further investigation,” the agency stated.
Meanwhile, the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands, equally continued across the country in the past week.
Some of them include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of Government Day Senior Secondary School, Kwasarawa, Katsina; Corpus Christi College, Achi, Enugu; Epignosis Standard College, Onitsha, Anambra.
