The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a trans-border drug syndicate, arresting four key members and seizing large quantities of illicit substances hidden in vehicles across multiple states.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, revealed that intelligence-led operations led to the interception of tramadol pills worth millions of naira, methamphetamine disguised as auto spare parts, and other drugs in Anambra, Cross River, Nasarawa, Taraba, Ekiti, and Lagos states.
“Following weeks of intelligence gathering, operatives intercepted a Sienna bus at Nasarawa-Toto Road, Keffi, on January 27, 2025. Two suspects, Zahradeen Adamu and Abubakar Usman, were arrested while transporting concealed tramadol pills from Onitsha to Yola,” the statement read. Another vehicle, driven by Abba Usman, was also seized, with searches uncovering 190,960 tramadol pills hidden in modified compartments.
Further investigations led to the arrest of Kingsley Mbaeri, an Onitsha-based dealer, at his residence, where two vehicles were confiscated.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers at the Abaji checkpoint in Abuja arrested Chimezie Ojingwa, who was caught transporting 404.47 grams of methamphetamine, 506.49 grams of synthetic cannabis, and a precursor chemical hidden among auto spare parts.
The agency also intercepted a truck carrying 170,000 tramadol pills in Cross River and seized 85,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup from an India-bound container at Apapa port, Lagos.
Additional arrests included two suspects in Borno found with 72 kilograms of compressed skunk, three individuals in Ekiti caught with 83 kilograms of cannabis, and a 28-year-old woman in Lagos who was found in possession of 169.5 litres of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and 111 grams of Loud.
The NDLEA reiterated its commitment to tackling drug trafficking and disrupting criminal networks across Nigeria.
