NDLEA Seizes Codeine Shipment from India, US, UK-Bound Opioids Concealed in Women’s Hair

Barely a week after seizing a shipment of 175,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Port Harcourt Ports complex in Onne, Rivers state, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have again intercepted another consignment of 175,000 bottles of the same opioid imported from India.

According to a statement released by the spokesperson of the agency, Femi Babafemi, 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 7th June 2024 during a joint examination by NDLEA, Customs Service and other security agencies. The container marked HASU 4787890 from India was enroute C to C bonded terminal in Enugu.

Babafemi said in the same vein, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) on Wednesday 5th June intercepted five different parcels containing illicit drugs concealed in ladies’ clothes and synthetic hair going to the United States and United Kingdom. Some of the seized drugs include 620 ampoules of pentazocine injection, promethazine and other opioids. The drug consignments were seized at a courier firm in Lagos.

In Kebbi state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kalgo-Birnin Kebbi road on Saturday 8th June arrested a 32-year-old Nigerien, Hassan Mummuni with 4,000 pills of diazepam and 1.250kg cannabis, concealed in four pesticide tanks, while operatives in Gombe state same day arrested Ibrahim Abubakar (aka Alhajiji) at Herwagana, with 6,740 pills of tramadol and 20,000 tablets of diazepam.

Not less than 1,098 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from a suspect, Onyekachi ThankGod Iwula, 42, following his arrest in a commercial bus at Aloma junction, Otukpa, Ogbadibo LGA, Benue state.