The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), on Sunday said it intercepted 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup worth N7.3 billion in Rivers.
This is contained in a statement signed by NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said that the intercepted cartons contained 1,050,000 bottles of the opioid worth over N7.3 billion street value, at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne, Rivers l.
According to him, the seizure made from six containers on Saturday, is the third of such in the past four weeks.
He said that the drugs were seized following credible intelligence and diligent tracking of the consignments from their port of departure by a special operations unit of NDLEA.
Babafemi also said that the operatives worked in partnership with the Port Harcourt, Ports Command of the agency and other security agencies.
This, he said, included the Nigeria Customs Service for a 100 per cent joint examination of the targeted containers.
“At the end of the joint examination of the six containers, a total of 6,125 cartons containing 1,050,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 157,500 kilograms were recovered, “he said.
Babafemi further said that NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos, arrested two passengers travelling to Doha on a Qatar Airways flight at the screening point of terminal 2.
He said that the arrest came after they tested positive to ingestion of illicit substances on Friday.
“The suspects: Aikhomoun Daniel (alias Oladapo Olanrewaju) and Ayigoro Omobolaji were thereafter taken into observatory custody.
“While Daniel excreted a total of 90 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.022kg in six excretions, Ayigoro discharged 60 wraps of the same Class A substance with a total weight of 662grams in five excretions.
“Further investigation revealed that Aikhomoun Daniel actually stole the identity of his late uncle who was once based in Germany.
“This is a decision he claimed he took to get a Schengen visa to enable him free access to Europe, while his real name is Oladapo Olanrewaju, “he said.