The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a consignment of 175,000 bottles of opioids imported from India, at the Port Harcourt Ports complex in Onne, Rivers State.
This comes a week after a shipment of 175,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup was seized in the same location.
In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi said the two seizures followed earlier intelligence, which made the agency request that the shipment be stepped down for 100 per cent examination.
He explained that the latest seizure of 875 cartons comprising 175,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup weighing 26,250kg, was made last Friday during a joint examination by the agency, Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.
The statement reads in part; “Barely a week after seizing a shipment of 175,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Port Harcourt Ports complex in Onne, Rivers State, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have again intercepted another consignment of 175,000 bottles of the same opioid imported from India.
“The two seizures followed earlier intelligence, which made the agency request that the shipment be stepped down for 100 per cent examination.
“The latest seizure of 875 cartons of codeine containing 175,000 bottles and weighing 26,250kg, was made on Friday 7 June 2024 during a joint examination by NDLEA, Customs Service and other security agencies. The container marked HASU 4787890 from India was en route C to C bonded terminal in Enugu.
“In the same vein, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) on Wednesday 5 June intercepted five different parcels containing illicit drugs concealed in ladies’ clothes and synthetic hair going to the United States and the United Kingdom.
“Some of the seized drugs include 620 ampoules of pentazocine injection, promethazine and other opioids. The drug consignments were seized at a courier firm in Lagos”.
