The suspected owner of a consignment of tramadol concealed in a bottle of dietary supplements, causing a commotion at Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi revealed on Sunday that the suspect, initially seen being tortured in a viral video, was apprehended on Friday.
Babafemi stated, "Preliminary findings by the NDLEA showed the parcel contained 50 pills of tramadol concealed in a bottle of dietary supplements." The suspect, after returning from Ghana, confirmed ownership of the drugs.
Two freight agents and a traveler narrowly avoided involvement in drug trafficking operations at Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The agents had been contacted to send a consignment of 1kg Indian hemp concealed in tins of chocolate drink to Turkey but chose to submit the shipment to NDLEA checks.
In a separate operation, large consignments of cocaine and colorado were intercepted at Tincan Seaport in Lagos. Babafemi noted, "Some of the items recovered from the containers include: 1,274 parcels of cocaine and colorado with a total weight of 884.09 kilograms." Several arrests were made, including a suspect linked to the colorado shipment.
In Kano, over 5.6 million pills of tramadol 250mg and exol-5 were seized from three suspects. In Lagos, cannabis sativa weighing 110kg was recovered from two suspects in Ojodu Berger, while 69kg of the same substance was found in the hideout of a fleeing suspect in Akerele, Surulere.
The NDLEA also recovered 2,800 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup during a raid operation at Aleita FCT, Abuja. The suspected owner of the consignment, Jideofor Sochima, is still at large.
