Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted over 2,465 000 tablets of tramadol worth N1 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
The tramadol tablets in 225mg and 250mg, weighing 2,356kg, were reportedly imported from Pakistan.
A statement issue by NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday said the seizure of the drug on Friday 7th October came barely a week after about 13.5 million pills of the same opioid worth over N8.8billion were recovered by NDLEA operatives from one of the mansions of a billionaire drug baron in the highbrow residential estate, Victoria Garden City, VGC, Lekki Lagos.
“Following credible intelligence, the Agency had shown interest in the consignment of 52 cartons that came into Nigeria from Karachi, Pakistan with six different airway bills via Ethiopian Airline flight, comprising seven cartons of 250mg of a brand called tamral and 45 cartons of 225mg, branded as tramaking.
“Soon after its arrival at the Lagos airport, the NDLEA called for a joint examination of the consignment with other stakeholders and after its information was confirmed by all, the 52 cartons of the seized substance which are above the recommended threshold for medical use and banned in the country, were moved to the Agency’s facility,” he said.
Babafemi added that in the same vein, another bid to export through the airport 15 parcels of cannabis and 600grams of tramadol 225mg concealed in a sack of crayfish to Dubai, UAE was equally thwarted by operatives who seized the consignment and subsequently arrested a freight agent, Osahor Alex Ekwueme, who presented it for export.
While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Kaduna, Sokoto and Lagos commands for the feats, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa urged them and their compatriots across the country to remain steadfast, resolute and unrelenting until the last gram of illicit drugs is taken away from the streets of Nigeria.
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