How NDLEA’s Swift Action Stopped A Massive Codeine Shipment From India
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted a shipment of 175,000 bottles of codeine from India en route to Enugu State. The seizure came two days after the NDLEA Directorate of Operations and General Investigation intercepted illicit drugs concealed in synthetic hair and ladies’ clothes bound for shipment to the United States.
In a statement released on Sunday, June 9, 2024, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the interception was the result of meticulous intelligence work. The agency had been alerted to the suspicious shipment and subsequently requested a thorough examination of the container marked HASU 4787890. The operation, conducted on Friday, June 7, 2024, involved a joint effort by the NDLEA, the customs service, and other security agencies.
“The two seizures followed earlier intelligence, which made the agency request that the shipment be stepped down for 100 percent examination. The latest seizure of 875 cartons of codeine containing 175,000 bottles and weighing 26,250kg was made on Friday, June 7, 2024, during a joint examination by the NDLEA, customs service, and other security agencies. The container marked HASU 4787890 from India was en route to C to C Bonded Terminal in Enugu,” Babafemi explained.
The recent seizures are part of a broader crackdown by the NDLEA on drug trafficking. In a series of coordinated raids across the country last week, the agency arrested a Nigerien national attempting to smuggle drugs in pesticide tanks and 19 others for various drug-related offenses.
The Nigerien national, Hassan Mummuni, was apprehended with 4,000 pills of diazepam and 1.25kg of cannabis along the Kalgo-Birnin Kebbi Road on Saturday, June 8. Similarly, in Gombe, Ibrahim Abubakar was caught with 6,740 pills of tramadol and 20,000 tablets of diazepam.
Other significant arrests included Onyekachi Iwula in Benue State, found with 1,098 bottles of codeine-based syrup, and Hasana Usman, a 20-year-old woman in Bauchi State, carrying 25 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 28.2kg.
“In Bauchi State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Ningi-Kano Road on Wednesday, June 5, arrested a 20-year-old lady, Hasana Usman, with 25 blocks of cannabis sativa that weighed 28.2kg, while their counterparts in Yobe State nabbed Ali Mohammed, 42, along Kano-Potiskum Road, with 19,000 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in a black sack and the suspect’s traveling bag,” Babafemi said.
He added, “In Oyo State, 57-year-old Oladimeji Samson was arrested in a commercial bus at the Ibadan end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway with 79 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 44.4kg and 48 grams of ecstasy, all concealed in the engine compartment under the driver’s seat of the bus.”
The agency also arrested one Ali Mohammed at Ganaja village, Kogi State, in connection with the interception of 17,980 pills of tramadol and other opioids. Also, Blessing Samuel and Unnanchi Mike were arrested with 804 bottles of codeine syrup at Narayi, Kaduna State.
“Also in Kaduna, Tijjani Umar, 37, and Yahaya Suleman, 35, were arrested with 33.9 kilograms of cannabis sativa in the Lafiya area, Kudan Local Government Area of the state.”
In the nation’s capital territory, Abuja, a raid by the agency at the Toaabora Hills on Saturday also led to nine suspects being arrested for being in possession of cannabis weighing a total of 83.01kg.
The NDLEA’s aggressive stance on drug trafficking, particularly codeine, follows the Nigerian government’s ban on the substance in 2018. The ban was instituted after alarming reports of widespread abuse among youths. Codeine, often found in cough syrups, became a drug of choice, leading to a public health crisis.
The abuse of codeine and other opioids remains a significant concern in Nigeria, with 14.3 million Nigerians involved in drug abuse.
