NDLEA discovers 1.8 million narcotics tablets concealed in noodles

At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, in Ikeja, Lagos, as well as in Gombe state, agents of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized at least 1,760,460 pills of tramadol and other opioids concealed in packs of Indomie noodles and other items.

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

“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. 

“A female freight agent, Olaleye Adeola has already been arrested in connection with the noodles consignment.  

“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.

A Honda Ridgeline pick-up truck with the registration number BWR 699 CV was stopped in Edo state on Friday, December 16, by agents acting on additional intelligence. The truck was carrying 29 bags of Cannabis sativa totalling 319kg.

Alfred Vratombo, the 32-year-old driver of the car, was apprehended while wearing a fake police outfit that he was using to trick security personnel.

Chucks Kalu, a 29-year-old drug dealer, tried to smuggle 26 kg of cannabis into Kano hidden between blender packs, but his attempt was foiled by agents who stopped the shipment along the Abuja-Kaduna express road and later detained him in a follow-up operation in Kano.

Following the discovery of his shipment of 1,980 bottles of cough syrup with codeine hidden inside cartons along the Abuja-Kaduna express road, another suspect, 42-year-old Rabilu Sa’ad Abubakar, was also detained in a follow-up operation in Kano.

In Delta state, NDLEA officers raided the home of a drug lord, Okrika Kingsley Ozioma, at Usiefurum town, Ughelli South LGA, where an underground drug bunk was discovered in a three-bedroom bungalow building owned by the suspect who is currently on the run. On Saturday, December 17, operatives arrested Muhammed Ahmed, 40, with 288 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 244.5Kg in the Darazo area of the state.

Along with a 2003 Silver Golf automobile with the registration number Lagos KJA 572 AZ utilized for drug trafficking both inside and outside of Warri, 17.6kgs of C/S were also found inside the bunk.

On December 17, a suspect, Yusuf Ayinde, 40, was detained in Oyo state with 50.4 kg of cannabis at his home in Idi-Ose via Amuloko, Ona-Ara LGA.

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, commended the officers and soldiers of the MMIA, Lagos, Gombe, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, and Oyo state commands for their dedication and vigilance that resulted in the arrests and seizures of the previous week and urged them and their compatriots in other formations to continue breaking records.