Some operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos State and three courier companies have intercepted consignments of opioids concealed in soles of shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States, United Kingdom, and Cyprus.
A total of 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in the soles of 13 pairs of shoes going to Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on October 12, 2024, and an additional 380 tablets recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna, during a follow-up operation in Enugu State on Thursday, October 24.
This was disclosed by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement issued on Sunday, October 27.
According to him, a cash of N968,880 and a Toyota Avalon car marked UWN 389 AS, were also recovered from the suspect when he was arrested.
He said that 293 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injection as well as 1.690kg of cannabis and tramadol tablets concealed in hair attachments and soles of shoes going to the United States, United Kingdom, and Oman were intercepted at three courier firms by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) in Lagos on Thursday, October 24.
A suspected major distributor of illicit drugs in Abuja, Umar Muhammed, was on Monday, October 21, nabbed following the earlier seizure of a consignment of 198.5kg of cannabis linked to him at the Wuse market park in Abuja.
The NDLEA spokesperson said a 39-year-old suspect, Fadan Bindom, was arrested in possession of 65.85kg of cannabis and 18 grams of tramadol at Pilgani village in Plateau State.
“Another suspect, Sunday Agbata, 42, was nabbed at Pavwei-Rayfield Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State with 5,830 tablets and ampoules of bromazepam, diazepam, and pentazocine injection on Wednesday 23rd October,” Babafemi stated.