PICTORIAL: NDLEA Intercepts N14.9bn Opioids From Lagos Raids

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a total of 25,000,000.00 pills of tapentadol, an opioid three times stronger than tramadol and 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Tincan Port Complex in Lagos.

The seizures were made on Tuesday, September 17 and Friday, September 20, 2024, from three containers which had been on the watchlist of the NDLEA following processed intelligence.

NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi said the NDLEA had requested for 100 per cent joint examination of the shipments with men of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.

He said, “The 25 million pills of tapentadol have an estimated street value of N13,725,000,000.00 while the codeine consignment has an estimated street value of N2,450,000,000.00, bringing the total value of the seizures to N14,950,000,000.00.

“The tapentadol consignment packed in 500 cartons was discovered in one of the containers on Tuesday, September 17, while another container examined the same day contained 175,000 bottles of Barcadin cough syrup with codeine packed in 875 cartons.

“The third container containing 175,000 bottles of CSC cough syrup with codeine was examined on Friday, September 20.”

Meanwhile, operatives of the Lagos State Strategic Command of the NDLEA, on Friday, September 20, arrested an 80-year-old grandfather, Pa Aremu Shojobi, with 14 kilograms of cannabis at his home in Iyana Ipaja area of Lagos State.

The NDLEA disclosed that the Octogenarian, in his statement, claimed he has been in the business of selling illicit drugs for 25 years.

He further claimed that he gets his supplies from Benin Republic, and sells to customers from his residence between 7 am and 10 pm every day.

In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Wednesday, September 18, raided the two homes of a community leader and Sarkin Yamma of Badagry West LCDA, Alhaji Bashir Mohammed Talba, where a total of 226kg of cannabis was recovered from his two wives and son.

The NDLEA said though Alhaji Talba is currently at large, a search of his house in Ashipa area of Seme Badagry led to the recovery of 93 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 57.6kg from his first wife, Asma’u Bashiru, 35, and son, Sadat Bashiru, 22, while another search of his house at Aketegbo area of Seme Badagry led to the seizure of 302 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 168.6kg from his second wife Hauwa Bashir, 42.

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