NDLEA Foils Major Tramadol Smuggling Ring, Seizes 1.63 Million Pills, Arrests 80-Year-Old Suspect
Nigeria’s anti-drug campaign recorded another major breakthrough as operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intensified efforts to dismantle transnational trafficking networks, intercepting more than 1.63 million tramadol pills concealed in two trucks bound for Kano.
The intelligence-led operation, carried out along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, led to the seizure of 853,000 pills from one trailer on 2 July and another 777,000 pills from a second truck on 4 July.
Both consignments were hidden in specially fabricated compartments beneath the cargo floors, while the two 22-year-old drivers were arrested.
Investigations linked the trucks to the same cross-border drug syndicate operating along the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria route.
In a related operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, NDLEA intercepted 4.7 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud concealed in cargo shipments from Canada, leading to the arrest of a businesswoman and three other suspects.
The agency also arrested an 80-year-old man in Rivers State for allegedly dealing in illicit drugs, while a couple in Edo State were apprehended after operatives uncovered a drug warehouse containing over 400 kilogrammes of cannabis and Canadian Loud.
In another operation, a Chadian woman and her Nigerian accomplice were arrested over 50,000 tramadol pills intercepted in Kogi State.
NDLEA said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign continued in schools across several states, even as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers for the successful operations and urged them to remain vigilant in the fight against drug trafficking.
Follow the Savinews Africa channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VawgaEL5vKA9Y5XTFg0n
