The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized hard drugs valued at N17.9 billion during major operations in Lagos and Rivers States, the agency announced on Sunday.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that the seized drugs included 31,124,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and bottles of codeine-based syrup intercepted at the Onne and Tincan seaports.
The seizure followed intelligence tracking the movement of shipments from India, prompting a 100 percent joint inspection of watch-listed containers with the Nigerian Customs Service and other security agencies.
A breakdown of the seizures showed 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup recovered from two containers at Tincan port in Lagos on August 29 and 30. Each container held 175,000 bottles of the opioid.
At the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, NDLEA operatives intercepted 447 cartons containing 29,840,000 pills of tramadol 225mg and 380,000 bottles of codeine syrup from three containers on August 29.
The tramadol was packaged under different brand names, including Royal Tapentadol, Carisoprodol 225mg, and Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride 225mg.
Additionally, NDLEA reported the surrender of Aderinoye Queen Christmas, a wanted ex-beauty queen also known as Queen Oluwadamilola Aderinoye, after eight months in hiding. Declared wanted in January, she fled her Lekki residence during a raid where NDLEA agents recovered 606 grams of Canadian Loud cannabis, drug packaging materials, an electronic weighing scale, and a black RAV 4 SUV.
She surrendered to the NDLEA Lagos Command on August 28, claiming she had been hiding in Akure, Ondo State.
The NDLEA continues its crackdown on drug trafficking, emphasizing the need for enhanced security and collaboration with other agencies to curb the illegal drug trade.
