The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 14.5 million pills of tramadol and bottles of codeine syrup worth more than N13 billion in street value in Lagos in three days.
The hauls were made in three major busts of drug cartels operating at Amuwo Odofin; at Idumota and at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) shed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
NDLEA’s spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, stated on Sunday in Abuja that the first seizure was made at House 8/10 Hon. Wahuha Avenue, Divine Estate, Ago Palace Way area of Amuwo Odofin on October 29.
In the house, 490,000 pills of tramadol and 81,519 bottles of codeine syrup were seized.
In another raid on October 31, NDLEA operatives swooped on a secret warehouse operated by a billionaire trader at Idumota, Lagos, Nwaoha Anayo, and seized 12.8 million pills of tramadol.
Anayo himself lives at Onitire, Aguda area of Surulere, Lagos.
In the third burst NDLEA arrested six members of a syndicate using their official cover to facilitate the smuggling of illicit drugs through the SAHCO warehouse into the country.
Babafemi stated that 1.2 million pills of tramadol were seized from the syndicate in a painstaking operation that lasted for weeks.
“The six suspects already in NDLEA custody are Oladele Sanya-Olu, Lawal Temitope, Sanamo Daniel, Udeh Monday, Musa Mutalib and Evans Isibor.
“Three other suspects, Sarki Salami, Abdullahi Aliyu (aka Aboki) and Monday Anwal, are now on the run and had been declared wanted by the NDLEA,’’ Babafemi stated.
