National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has detained an Indian Businessman, Vyapak Nutal for smuggling 134,700 bottles of codeine into Nigeria.
Gatekeepers News report that the NDLEA has taken Nutal into its custody for interrogation over the smuggling of 134,700 bottles of Codeine syrup into the country through the land border between Nigeria and the Niger Republic in Sokoto state.
The NDLEA Spokesman, Femi Babafemi who made this known in a statement said the Indian businessman loaded the consignment into trucks in Cotonou, Benin Republic, and drove through the land borders via the Niger Republic before entering Sokoto state at the Illela border.
According to Babafemi, the suspect further settled in a hotel in Sokoto state, where credible intelligence revealed that Nutal began to look for buyers for the controlled drug.
The statement read, “While operatives were on his trail, officers of the Department of State Security were able to apprehend him and swiftly handed him over to NDLEA on Wednesday 10th February 2022.”
The agency’s spokesman further revealed that narcotic officers in Lagos have also halted the attempts by drug traffickers to export large quantities of Heroin, Methamphetamine, Khat, Tramadol, and Cannabis through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA as well as three courier companies.
Similarly, operatives at the Lagos airport, on Tuesday 8th Feb arrested one Felix Rotimi Eshemokhai with 1.75kg heroin while trying to board Royal Air Maroc to Casablanca, Morocco while another trafficker, Okafor Emmanuel Onuzuruike was also nabbed the same day during his bid to travel on RwandAir to Dubai with 2.2kg of Cannabis concealed in foodstuff.
“Not less than 25 kilograms of Methamphetamine, Tramadol, Cannabis, and Khat concealed in motor parts, MP3 player, speaker and fabrics heading to the USA, UK, Australia, Dubai, and Madagascar were seized at three major courier companies in Lagos,” Babafemi said.
In a related development, 31,000 capsules of Tramadol have been recovered from a truck that left Onitsha, Anambra state for Mubi, Adamawa state, and the owner, Ibrahim Tukur Bage, was arrested at Gombe state on Friday 11th Feb, while attempting to escape.
According to NDLEA, this followed the arrest of Aliu Salami, 43, with 143.9kg cannabis at Oke-Ata, Abeokuta South LGA, Ogun state on Wednesday 9th Feb.
The statement read further, “In the same vein, not even a bunch of talisman (charms) used by a trans-border drug dealer, Shu’aibu Salisu could save him and his gang as their consignment of 578kg of Cannabis meant for Niger Republic was intercepted in Kwara state on 8th Feb when two persons: Gambo Lawal and Ibrahim Mohammed were arrested while conveying the drug to someone in Charanchi, Katsina State. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of Salisu and two others; Sani Musa and Auwal Amina the day after at different locations within Kaita LGA, Katsina.
“In Benue state, a fake security agent, Mr. Dennis Emadiong was on Saturday 12th Feb arrested at NDLEA check point, Alaide, Benue with 239grams of cannabis and 10 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition while on his way from Akwa Ibom to Maiduguri, Borno state. Another suspect, Stephen Folorunsho was also nabbed during a routine Stop and Search operation, along Apir-Makurdi road with 147 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 130kg stuffed inside bales of used clothes popularly called Okrika on his way to Gombe State.
“In Adamawa state, no fewer than 22,700 tablets of Tramadol and Exol-5 were seized in Numan area of the state from two drug dealers: Mmaduabuchibeya Kingsley and Onyeke Kenneth in separate raids on Thursday 10th February.”
The Chairman/Executive of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, while commending the officers and men of Sokoto, Gombe, Ogun, Kwara, Adamawa, Benue, MMIA Commands as well as those of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation, DOGI, for their resilience in the various drug supply reduction efforts, charged them and their compatriots across other commands to remain on the offensive against the cartels while he hailed the synergy and support from other security agencies.
