THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has intercepted 25 million pills of tapentadol, an opioid three times stronger than tramadol and 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth N16.1bn at the Tincan port complex in Lagos.
The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi said this in a statement, yesterday, in Abuja.
Babafemi said that the seizures were made from three containers which had been on the watchlist of the agency following processed intelligence.
“According to him, the NDLEA had requested for 100% joint examination of the shipments with men of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.
“The 25 million pills of tapentadol have an estimated street value of N13.7bn while the codeine consignment has an estimated street value of N2.4bn bringing the total value of the seizures to N16.1bn.
“The tapentadol consignment packed in 500 cartons was discovered in one of the containers on Tuesday Sept. 17 while another container examined same day contained 175,000 bottles of Barcadin cough syrup with codeine packed in 875 cartons.
“The third container containing 175,000 bottles of CSC cough syrup with codeine was examined on Friday”.
In another development, operatives of the Lagos State Strategic Command of the Agency, arrested an 80-year-old grandfather, Aremu Shojobi with 14kg of cannabis at his home in Iyana Ipaja area of the state.
Babafemi said that the Octogenarian claimed he has been in the business of selling illicit drugs for 25 years.
“He further claimed he gets his supplies from Benin republic, and sells to his customers from his residence between 7am and 10pm every day,” he said.
