The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced on Sunday that it intercepted 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup, valued at N7.3 billion, in Rivers State.
In a statement released by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, it was revealed that the cartons contained 1,050,000 bottles of the opioid, seized at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State.
The interception, which occurred on Saturday, involved six containers and is the third major seizure in the past four weeks. The drugs were confiscated following credible intelligence and tracking by a special operations unit of the NDLEA.
Babafemi detailed that the operation was a collaborative effort between the NDLEA’s Port Harcourt and Ports Command and the Nigeria Customs Service, resulting in the thorough examination of the targeted containers. The joint examination revealed the 6,125 cartons containing 1,050,000 bottles of codeine syrup, weighing a total of 157,500 kilograms.
Additionally, NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos, arrested two passengers traveling to Doha on a Qatar Airways flight. The passengers tested positive for ingesting illicit substances at the screening point of Terminal 2 on Friday.
The suspects, Aikhomoun Daniel (alias Oladapo Olanrewaju) and Ayigoro Omobolaji, were placed in observatory custody. Daniel excreted 90 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.022 kg in six excretions, while Ayigoro discharged 60 wraps of cocaine weighing 662 grams in five excretions.
Further investigation revealed that Aikhomoun Daniel had stolen the identity of his late uncle, a former resident of Germany, to obtain a Schengen visa for easier access to Europe. His real name is Oladapo Olanrewaju.
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