The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a total of 25 million pills of tapentadol, an opioid three times stronger than tramadol and 350,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup at the Tincan port complex in Lagos.
Its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in a statement issued Sunday said the seizures were made on Tuesday 17th and Friday 20th September 2024 from three containers which had been on the watchlist of the agency following processed intelligence.
He said as a result, the NDLEA had requested for 100 per cent joint examination of the shipments with men of the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies.
Babafemi noted: “The 25 million pills of tapentadol have an estimated street value of N13.725 billion, while the codeine consignment has an estimated street value of N2.450 million, bringing the total value of the seizures to N14.950 billion.
“The tapentadol consignment packed in 500 cartons was discovered in one of the containers on Tuesday 17th September while another container examined the same day contained 175,000 bottles of Barcadin cough syrup with codeine packed in 875 cartons.
“The third container containing 175,000 bottles of CSC cough syrup with codeine was examined on Friday 20th September.”
Meanwhile, operatives of the Lagos State Strategic Command of the Agency on Friday 20th September arrested an 80-year-old grandfather, Pa Aremu Shojobi with 14 kilograms of cannabis at his home in Iyana Ipaja area of the state.
Babafemi said in his statement, the Octogenarian claimed he has been in the business of selling illicit drugs for 25 years.
He further claimed he gets his supplies from Benin republic, and sells to his customers from his residence between 7am and 10pm every day.