By Joke Kujenya
A SIGNIFICANT haul of codeine syrup valued at over N7,000,000,000bn has been intercepted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Port Harcourt Ports complex in Rivers State.
The shipment, amounting to 6,125 cartons containing 1,050,000 bottles of the opioid, was seized from six containers on June 29, 2024.
This marks the third major interception within a month as a result of the coordinated efforts and credible intelligence of NDLEA’s special operations unit, in collaboration with the Port Harcourt Ports Command and other security agencies, including the Customs Service, when they conducted a thorough examination of moving containers in which the consignments were hidden.
Elsewhere, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, two passengers bound for Doha on a Qatar Airways flight were apprehended after testing positive for ingesting illicit substances.
The suspects, Aikhomoun Daniel (alias Oladapo Olanrewaju) and Ayigoro Waheed Omobolaji, were taken into custody.
Daniel expelled 90 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.022 kg, while Ayigoro discharged 60 wraps totaling 662 grams.
NDLEA investigations also revealed that Daniel had stolen his late uncle’s identity to obtain a Schengen visa.
In another operation, NDLEA operatives recovered 40.32 kg of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, from a Toyota Tacoma truck on Lekki-Ikoyi road after the driver fled upon noticing the agency’s pursuit.
A drug party in Abuja’s Sun City estate was raided by NDLEA operatives, leading to the arrest of 60 individuals, including 25 males and 35 females.
The event, named “Go hard or Go Home. Pick Your Poison,” was organized by Stanley Ikechukwu, who was also arrested.
Among the attendees, six were found with ecstasy and cannabis.
However, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), ordered the release of 20 suspects who tested negative for drugs, while 33 who tested positive were released on bail with orders to report for treatment and counseling.
In Edo State, four suspects were detained in Ugun, Igueben LGA, during a raid that destroyed 18,632.22 kg of cannabis cultivated on 7.45 hectares of farmland.
Throughout the past week, NDLEA said it continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, conducting sensitization programmes in various institutions and communities, including First Technical University in Ibadan, Government Day Secondary School in Yola, and Ezeike High School in Anambra.
The agency notes that it also engaged with members of Mount Zion Anglican Church in Akure and paid an advocacy visit to the palace of the Oba of Yoruba in Kano.
In his regular manner, Brig. Gen. Marwa said he commended the efforts of NDLEA officers across the country while issuing a stern warning to drug cartels, emphasizing that the agency’s relentless operations, supported by strategic partnerships, would continue to thwart their trafficking attempts.
He urged his team to persist with their balanced approach to drug control.
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