NDLEA Intercepts 100,000 Bottles Of Codeine Syrup In Rivers State

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it intercepted a container containing 100,000 bottles of codeine syrup at the Onne seaport, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The federal agency saddled with the responsibility of eliminating the growing, processing, manufacturing, selling, exporting, and trafficking of hard drugs in the country revealed it seized the hard drugs weighing 15,325kilograms during a joint examination with officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, State Security Service, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, among others.

Naija News understands that the substance, cough syrup with codeine , packed in 500 cartons and concealed in a container marked MRKU 1565305, bearing imported food masks made in India, was seized on Thursday, 10th June 2021 in a warehouse at the Onne port complex.

The development was confirmed to newsmen in a statement signed on Saturday by the spokesperson of the agency, Femi Babafemi.

“The seizure followed an intelligence received by NDLEA, as a result of which the container was put on hold and moved to the Customs Government warehouse within the port complex,” the statement reads.

It added: “No importer or agent has however come forward in respect of the container but efforts are ongoing to track the owner for further investigation and prosecution,” the statement read in part.

In the same development, NDLEA operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, NAIA, have seized nine cartons of khat, weighing 146.95kilograms at the cargo wing of the airport. The consignment packaged as dried green tea was shipped from Addis Ababa, onboard Ethiopian Airline flight ET911.

“After initial examination and suspicion, a clearing agent was asked to report with the consignee before the release but failed to do so for fear of arrest, a development that led to a laboratory test on the consignment, which tested positive to khat and the eventual seizure,” the statement added.

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) hailed the synergy among various government agencies at the Onne port and charged them not to rest on their oars as they daily work hard to keep Nigeria safe.

He commended the Commander, officers, and men of the Port Harcourt Port Command and their Abuja airport Command counterparts for their vigilance and commitment to the task of ridding Nigeria of illicit drugs.

Marwa said: “The damage 100,000 bottles of codeine would have done to our youths if they had slipped through the port to our villages, towns, and cities is unimaginable. 146.95 kilograms of khat could have done the same damage if allowed to go into our streets.

“We’ll continue to motivate our officers and men so that they can give their best in the discharge of their responsibilities across the country and ultimately with the support of all our stakeholders and partners, we’ll win the battle against illicit drug trafficking and abuse,”  he added.

Meanwhile, Nigerian comic actor, Babatunde Omidina, popularly known as Baba Suwe, has revealed that he is currently unwell at the moment and unable to walk, no thanks to the experience he said was meted out to him by the personnel of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

Naija News understands that the NDLEA arrested the veteran actor with claims that he was in possession of substances suspected to be cocaine. In an exclusive chat with The PUNCH, the iconic actor said that he has been rendered crippled due to his experience in the hands of the NDLEA.