A man has been arrested for allegedly possessing one million capsules of tramadol.
Onuoha Friday, 43, was arrested with the drugs on December 10 on Lagos Benin Expressway, spokesman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Femi Babafemi, said in a statement on Sunday.
Babafemi said agency officials also arrested a Ghanaian and two Nigerians at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Akanu Ibiam international Airport, Enugu for trafficking 9.953kg of cocaine and methamphetamine.
Babafemi said the Ghanaian, John Kadja, 25, was arrested on December 3 with two kilogrammes of methamphetamine during an outward clearance of Qatar Airways from Abuja to Doha at the departure screening area of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
He said a search of Kadja’s bag showed that the drug was concealed in a false bottom of his luggage on his way to Doha.
He said one of the Nigerian suspects, Uzoh Ndubuisi Johnson, was arrested on December 8 during an inward screening of Ethiopian Airlines passengers at the arrival hall of the airport.
According to the statement, while being interviewed by narcotic officers, Uzoh said he was given the consignment by his enabler based in Brazil for which he would be paid N3 million upon successful delivery to someone in Nigeria.
Babafemi said the other Nigerian, Udeh Charles, 53, was arrested on December 3 at the Enugu airport for ingesting 72 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.253kg.
He was arrested on December 3 during outward screening of Ethiopian Airlines passengers going to Rome, Italy via Addis Ababa, the agency’s spokesman said.
The suspect said he would have been paid 4000 Euros on the successful delivery of the drugs in Italy where he has been living for over 20 years, according to the NDLEA.
He attributed his decision to engage in the illicit trade on downward turn of his business as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. Babafemi said in two major arrests in Anambra state, 238.973kg of assorted illicit drugs were recovered.
“On Friday 3rd Dec, NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck at the Onitsha head bridge heading to Delta State.
“Upon search, various quantities of Codeine, Tramadol, Diazepam, and Rohypnol were recovered from the vehicle and its driver, Obinna Obinwa, arrested.
“Similarly, on Wednesday, 8th Dec, the Agency’s patrol team on Onitsha head bridge intercepted another truck going to Delta with different quantities of assorted illicit drugs while the driver, Lucky James, was also arrested.
“In Delta, raids and follow up operations carried out in parts of the state on Friday 10th Dec led to the arrest of a 17-year-old Abdulkarim Shiabu and 23-year-old Lawal Saidu, both from Niger Republic and four others with different quantities of Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, Tramadol and Cannabis.
“Others arrested include: Precious Oghenegwoke; Loveth Omukoro; Uche Godwin and Uti Harrison.”
