Consignments of opioids concealed in soles of shoes and hair attachments heading to the United States, United Kingdom, and Cyprus have been intercepted by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in the Ikeja area of Lagos State and three courier companies in the state.

A total of 2,118 pills of tramadol concealed in the soles of 13 pairs of shoes going to Cyprus were seized at the export shed of the Lagos airport on October 12, 2024, and an additional 380 tablets recovered from the home of the sender, Okenwa Kelvin Uchenna, during a follow-up operation in Enugu State on Thursday, October 24.

The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, October 27, said a cash of N968,880 and a Toyota Avalon car marked UWN 389 AS, were also recovered from the suspect when he was arrested.

Babafemi revealed that 293 ampoules of promethazine and pentazocine injection as well as 1.690kg of cannabis and tramadol tablets concealed in hair attachments and soles of shoes going to the United States, United Kingdom, and Oman were intercepted at three courier firms by NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) in Lagos on Thursday, October 24.

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He added that a suspected major distributor of illicit drugs in Abuja, Umar Muhammed, was on Monday, October 21, nabbed following the earlier seizure of a consignment of 198.5kg of cannabis linked to him at the Wuse market park in the nation’s capital.

The NDLEA spokesman said a 39-year-old suspect, Fadan Bindom, was arrested in possession of 65.85kg of cannabis and 18 grams of tramadol at Pilgani village in Plateau State.

“Another suspect, Sunday Agbata, 42, was nabbed at Pavwei-Rayfield Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State with 5,830 tablets and ampoules of bromazepam, diazepam, and pentazocine injection on Wednesday 23rd October,” Babafemi disclosed.

The Star