NDLEA Seizes N3.3 Billion Worth of Methamphetamine, Three Businessmen Arrested
…Recovers N4.4 Billion Worth of Opioids in Rivers State
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has made a significant breakthrough in its fight against drug trafficking with the interception of methamphetamine and a potent strain of cannabis known as Loud, valued at over N3.3 billion.
According to a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA, the substances were concealed within automobile spare parts imported from Canada, destined for Lagos.
The Agency stated that this landmark operation, which involved meticulous intelligence tracking across three continents, marks its first in history.
The operation, conducted at the Tincan Seaport in Lagos, uncovered two separate consignments of methamphetamine, weighing 83.301 kilograms. These were seized on 12th and 13th December 2024 during a joint examination with Customs and other port stakeholders.
The shipments, en route to warehouses at the Ladipo automobile parts market in Mushin, Lagos, were traced from their point of origin in Canada.
The first container, inspected on 12th December, yielded 5.001 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in a bag wrapped in a bedsheet inside a Toyota Camry vehicle. A businessman, Isaac Onwumere, was promptly arrested in connection with the illicit cargo.
The second container, examined the following day, contained a staggering 1,735 parcels of Loud, weighing 867.5 kilograms, packed in 44 jumbo bags.
Additionally, six plastic coolers were discovered, containing 87 packs of methamphetamine with a combined weight of 78.3 kilograms.
Two more businessmen, Nwanolue Emeka and Friday Ogbe, were apprehended for their involvement.
The estimated street value of the seized methamphetamine is N124.95 million, while the Loud is worth N2.17 billion.
Both consignments were meticulously tracked through a complex transit route, originating in Toronto, Canada, passing through Antwerp, Belgium, and finally arriving at the Lagos port in early December.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives at the Onne Port Complex in Rivers State intercepted 636,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth N4.45 billion.
The seizures, made during joint examinations of four containers on 9th, 11th, and 13th December, were part of shipments originating from India. This discovery underscores the Agency’s commitment to tackling opioid abuse in Nigeria.
Beyond interdictions, the NDLEA intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation programmes across schools, communities, and workplaces.
Activities included lectures at City Comprehensive College, Ogidi, Anambra State; Government Secondary School, Toungo, Adamawa State; and Bonny Camp Primary School, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The campaigns aim to educate the public on the dangers of drug abuse and foster a drug-free society.
NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the operatives involved in these operations, highlighting their success as a testament to the Agency’s robust intelligence capabilities.
“These seizures demonstrate that NDLEA can track drug movements across continents. Drug cartels will continue to lose heavily unless they desist from this criminal trade,” he asserted.
With these operations, NDLEA has reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding Nigeria from the scourge of drug trafficking and abuse.
The Agency’s unrelenting efforts signal a stern warning to drug barons and reinforce the resolve to curb the illicit drug trade in the country.
