The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Nigeria has successfully thwarted attempts by transnational criminal organizations to flood communities with illicit drugs during the holiday season. In a series of operations, NDLEA operatives arrested a 70-year-old grandmother, Selifat Cole, and her son, Babajide Cole, along with intercepting millions of tramadol 225mg pills, thousands of codeine syrup bottles, and bags of Canadian Loud.
The 70-year-old and her son were apprehended in Mushin, Lagos, with 117.900kg of cannabis sativa. The arrests were made with the collaboration of the Nigerian Customs Service and other stakeholders.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, NDLEA officers, in cooperation with customs and other stakeholders, prevented the smuggling of 7,500,000 pills of tramadol 225mg. The tramadol shipment, concealed as tamol-x, arrived on a Turkish airline flight from Hamburg, Germany. It was the first time such a shipment was seized on the airline’s flight, and the first originating from Hamburg.
In addition to the tramadol interception, NDLEA operatives recovered 258 cartons of codeine-based cough syrup and eight cartons of codeine tablets from two shops at the Trade Fair Complex in the Ojo area of Lagos. Another operation in Mushin led to the arrest of a 70-year-old grandmother and her son with 117.900kg of cannabis sativa.
Other successful operations included the interception of a consignment of spare parts containing cocaine at the Lagos airport cargo terminal, the seizure of 70 parcels of Canadian Loud (a potent strain of cannabis) from a container coming from Canada, and the interception of a waybill consignment of 25,000 tramadol pills in the Federal Capital Territory.
Additionally, NDLEA operatives in Anambra arrested two suspects at the Onitsha head bridge with large quantities of tramadol, codeine, rohypnol, and other drugs. Operations in Delta, Enugu, and Edo states also led to the recovery of significant amounts of cannabis and the arrest of individuals impersonating NDLEA officers.
These operations reflect the NDLEA’s commitment to combating drug trafficking and abuse, particularly during the festive season when criminal organizations often attempt to exploit increased activities.
