NDLEA Intercepts 2.3m Opioid Tabs

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in series of interdiction operations in the past week, have intercepted a total 2,325,553 tablets and capsules of Tramadol, Pregabalin, Hypnox, Diazepam and Exol-5 including 7, 353 bottles of a new psychoactive substance locally called ‘Akuskura’ meant for seven states in the country.

The drugs were seized from locations across Kaduna, Kogi, Sokoto, and the FCT.

NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said in Kaduna, a drug dealer, Umar Sanusi, was arrested on Friday, August 12 during a follow-up operation in Kano and brought back to Kaduna where his consignment of 50 cartons of Pregabalin 300mg, containing 750,000 capsules, weighing 375kgs earlier seized along Abuja-Kaduna expressway was counted and weighed in his presence.

He also said on the same day, operatives also intercepted along Abuja-Kaduna expressway 7,068 bottles of a new dangerous substance of abuse called ‘Akuskura’ meant for Kaduna, Zamfara, Gombe, Kano and Borno States.

The following day, Saturday, August 13, 2022, 285 bottles of the NPS were recovered from a dealer, Abubakar Ahmad, along the same highway.

In Kogi, no fewer than 696,000 tablets of Tramadol and Exol-5k among others, loaded into a truck at Onitsha, Anambra state and heading to Maiduguri, Borno State, were seized along Okene-Abuja expressway on Friday, August 19, while NDLEA operatives also recovered 300,000 tablets of Diazepam from a suspect, Faruku Bello, 30, in Sokoto State on Wednesday, August 17.

The NDLEA also said a major importer of Loud variant of cannabis from the United States, Abibu Afis Sola and a 63-year-old grandfather, who ships illicit substances to his daughter in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) were arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

Abibu was arrested in connection with a 19.30kg Colorado consignment from Los Angeles, USA, which was intercepted on June 30 at the NAHCO cargo import shed of the Lagos Airport.

While Abibu was still being interviewed in custody, a 37.1kg consignment of Loud intercepted on July 7 was also traced to him.

The 63-year-old grandfather behind an intercepted drug exhibit going to Dubai, Afolabi Abideen Kolawole, was arrested in Ibadan, Oyo State on Thursday, August 18 after more than four sets of arrests eventually unraveled him.

He confessed that he was responsible for the concealment and packaging of the cannabis inside the black native soap used as mode of concealment.

He also admitted this was his second attempt at sending such illicit substance to his daughter, Barakat, in Dubai.