NDLEA intercepts 1.8m narcotic pills hidden in noodles

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted at least, One Million, Seven Hundred Sixty Thousand Four Hundred Sixty (1,760,460) pills of Tramadol and other opioids hid in indomie noodles packs and others at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos as well as in Gombe state.

Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in a statement said, “Over 600,000 pills of Tramadol 225mg coming from Karachi, Pakistan in two separate shipments on Ethiopian Airlines flights were intercepted by operatives of NDLEA at the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport on Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th December

“A total of 5,960 pills of Rohypnol concealed in 60 packs of indomie noodles going to Johannesburg, South Africa were also seized at the SAHCO export shed of the airport on Wednesday 14th December.

In a related development, a trader at Balogun market in Lagos Island, Akunne Chibuzor Tochukwu was on Tuesday 13th Dec arrested in collaboration with the Zone 2 Police Headquarters, Lagos over his attempt to export a Tramadol consignment to Dubai, UAE.

“The consignment was seized at the Lagos airport by NDLEA operatives on 25th November while a market labourer, Oke Abosede Ronke whose services were requested to convey the drug for export had earlier been arrested.

“Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Lagos on Sunday 11th December intercepted a truck and a bus conveying 113 jumbo bags of cannabis sativa weighing 4,802.84 kilograms around the VGC estate area of Ajah while three suspects: Taofeek Yusuf; Ifeanyi Okorie and Israel Nwachukwu were arrested in connection with the seizures.

“In Gombe state, a total of 1,154,500 pills of Tramadol, Rohypnol and Exol being transported from Onitsha, Anambra state to Gombe by a truck driver, Umar Hassan, 28, were seized on Thursday 15th Dec. at Bye pass area of Gombe by a team of NDLEA officers following credible intelligence.