The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested an Indian businessman, Gupta Kumar and three Nigerian accomplices for drug trafficking.
The three Nigerian accomplices are Ogunlana Olanrewaju, Olushola Kayode and Bakare Muheeb.
NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, in a statement Sunday disclosed that they were arrested in connection with the seizure of 2,248,000 pills of tramadol 200mg/225mg, intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja in Lagos.
He said that the tramadol shipment worth N3.9billion in street value, was imported from Delhi, India.
He also said that it was disguised as multi-vitamins in 114 cartons and arrived the import shed of the Lagos airport on an Ethiopian Airline flight on Monday, Sept. 8.
Also Read: NDLEA seizes Tramadol, arrests multiple drug suspects
“A team of NDLEA officers who had put the consignment under surveillance however, swooped on a clearing agent.
“Two drivers who were trying to move the shipment out of the airport in two trucks on Thursday, Sept. 11, were also arrested.
“A follow up operation the following day, Friday, led to the arrest of the Indian businessman, Gupta Ravi Kumar, when he was trying to take delivery of the consignment,” he said.
The agency also raided a factory producing skuchies, a blend of cannabis and black currant drink in the Ikorodu area of Lagos acting on intelligence and carried out the raid on Thursday, Sept. 11.
Babafemi said that 6, 029 bottles of the new psychoactive substance and 4,232kg of cannabis were recovered from the factory located in Caritas, Ibeshe area of Ikorodu.
Similarly, another suspect was on the same day, arrested in the Mushin area of the state with 26kg skunk.
Babafemi said that at the Tincan port in Lagos, a total of 161 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 81.7kg and 1.2kg hashish oil were recovered from a 40ft container of vehicle spare parts and used vehicles.
Babafemi said that the drugs were imported from Montreal Canada and were intercepted during a joint examination of the shipment on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
In another development, a suspect was also arrested in connection to the drugs at Gadar Tamburawa, along Zaria – Kano Road on Monday, Sept. 8.
Similarly, 196 litres of Akuskura, a new psychoactive substance, were recovered from another suspect at Na’ibawa area of Kano by NDLEA operatives.
Babafemi said that the officials also seized 34.1kg skunk, 493 tubes of rubber solution and 25 litres of ‘suck and die’, an NPS, from an 18 year-old at Wailari area, Kumbotso LGA, Kano on Thursday, Sept. 11.
In the same vein, in Anambra state, a couple were arrested during a raid operation at Obosi where 13.9kg Methamphetamine and 5.3kg skunk were recovered from them.
Babafemi said that various quantities of meth, tramadol, swinol, heroin and skunk were also seized from another suspect in Anambra.
In Yobe a suspect was arrested after 36 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 22.1kg were recovered from his residence at Gadan Talakawa area of Potiskum.
Babafemi said that three trans-border drug traffickers were also seized with 394kg skunk at Imeko area of Ogun State.
This, he said, was during a joint operation by NDLEA operatives with the police and local vigilante on Sunday, Sept. 7, adding that three motorcycles used in conveying the illicit consignment were also recovered.
In Edo state, a total of 16,966.633 kg of skunk were destroyed on a cannabis plantation measuring 6.786653 hectares at Ugbogyi forest, Ovia Southwest LGA.
Babafemi said that 112 bags of processed cannabis weighing 1,176kg were also recovered at the farm where four suspects were arrested.
NAN
