Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have seized over 700,000 tramadol pills and other illicit drugs across Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, and several other states in a series of coordinated operations.
The development was disclosed in a statement signed by Femi Babafemi and released on Sunday, March 22.
The agency said the seizures were made across multiple states within the past week, highlighting a nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking networks.
The NDLEA said it had foiled multiple attempts by drug trafficking organisations to smuggle illicit substances locally and internationally, while also intercepting large quantities within the country.
The agency noted that the operations, carried out over the past week, led to several arrests, interceptions at airports, highways, and courier firms, as well as the recovery of opioids, cannabis, and methamphetamine.
It also quoted the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, as commending officers across commands for their efforts while urging them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control through enforcement and sensitisation.
The operations spanned multiple states and involved a combination of intelligence-led raids, airport interceptions, and highway patrols targeting drug trafficking routes and networks.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, operatives intercepted passengers attempting to smuggle opioids to Europe. One suspect was caught with 2,698 tramadol pills hidden in body cream containers, while another was found with 28,470 opioid pills concealed in winter jackets.
In Lagos, NDLEA officers also intercepted drug shipments at a courier firm, including one kilogram of a potent cannabis strain known as “Loud” shipped from the United States, as well as 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed in carton walls destined for New Zealand.
In Taraba, a suspect was intercepted with 77,660 capsules of tramadol en route to Gombe, while in Adamawa, six suspects were arrested in connection with 82.8kg of tramadol concealed in a truck.
The NDLEA, alongside agencies such as the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has intensified efforts to combat the growing threat of illicit drug trafficking across Nigeria.
These developments underscore the scale of drug trafficking networks operating within and across Nigeria’s borders, as enforcement agencies continue to ramp up efforts to curb the menace.