NDLEA reports drug seizures worth more than N5bn at Nigerian ports

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency says it has intercepted cannabis and codeine-based cough syrup consignments worth more than N5 billion at ports in Lagos and Rivers states. NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi disclosed the operations in a statement on Sunday. The agency said its officers worked with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies during searches at Apapa, Tincan Island and Onne ports.

At Apapa Port, officers found 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg in a container from Bangkok. The cannabis, valued by the agency at N372 million, was concealed in two refrigerators and two cartons. At Onne, two containers under surveillance were searched.

Officers recovered 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg from a travelling bag and found three vehicles in one container. A second container contained 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg. NDLEA valued the Onne consignments at N833.2 million.

At Tincan Island, officers recovered 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg from a container shipped from Montreal. The agency said the drugs were hidden inside two vehicles, 24 drums and six large bags, and valued the consignment at more than N3.8 billion. The agency also reported the arrest of a businessman at Lagos airport over an alleged attempt to export 4.8kg of cocaine to Milan.

NDLEA said the substance was concealed in shoes and luggage. In Osun, officers destroyed 20,234kg of cannabis found on an 8.0936-hectare farm. Other operations led to arrests and recoveries of cannabis, tramadol, methamphetamine and other substances in Plateau, Lagos, Kogi and Edo.

NDLEA Chairman Buba Marwa commended the officers and urged them to maintain their efforts.