The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced a significant seizure of codeine-based syrup and Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with a combined street value exceeding N2.1 billion.
The seizure occurred at both the Port Harcourt seaports and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
In a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, revealed the details of the operation. Alongside this substantial haul, the agency’s operatives made several arrests across various states in Nigeria.
At the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers, in collaboration with other security agencies, intercepted a large consignment of Loud. Packed in eight suitcases and originating from Canada via Amsterdam, Netherlands, the shipment contained 320 parcels weighing a total of 164.50 kilograms of the potent psychoactive substance.
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The consignment, valued at N960 million, was discovered at the E-arrival hall of the airport during a joint search operation by NDLEA personnel, Customs officials, and other security operatives.
The suspect, identified as Ughenu Nnaife Francis, was apprehended while attempting to smuggle the suitcases out of the hall.
According to the statement, Francis confessed that he had been recruited to transport the drugs from Canada to Nigeria for a fee of six million naira.
In addition to this operation, NDLEA operatives arrested a 70-year-old individual in Nasarawa State with 57.2 kilograms of cannabis, as well as two suspects in Ekiti State in possession of 426 kilograms of cannabis. Similar arrests were also made in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Katsina, and Nasarawa.
The NDLEA continues its relentless efforts to combat drug trafficking and apprehend those involved in the illicit trade, safeguarding communities from the harmful effects of narcotics.
