The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 1.63 million pills of tramadol concealed in two trailers heading to Kano as part of efforts to dismantle a transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Togo-Benin Republic-Nigeria corridor.
The operation also led to the arrest of an 80-year-old suspected drug dealer in Rivers State, a businesswoman linked to cannabis shipments from Canada, a Chadian woman, a couple in Edo State and several other suspects.
According to the NDLEA, one trailer intercepted along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway contained 853,000 tramadol pills concealed beneath its cargo floor, while a second truck intercepted two days later carried another 777,000 pills hidden in a similar compartment.
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The agency said investigations linked both consignments to an earlier seizure of 558,900 tramadol pills, indicating they were part of the same international trafficking network.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, operatives also intercepted 4.70 kilograms of Canadian Loud concealed in shipments that arrived from Canada.
The investigation resulted in the arrest of a 44-year-old businesswoman alleged to be the owner of the consignments.
In Rivers State, officers arrested an 80-year-old suspect with 800 grams of skunk, while a raid in Benin City led to the arrest of a couple and the seizure of more than 400 kilograms of cannabis products.
Another operation led to the arrest of a Chadian woman and her Nigerian accomplice after they were linked to the seizure of 50,000 tramadol pills intercepted in Kogi State.
The NDLEA said the operations demonstrate its determination to dismantle organised drug trafficking networks and curb the circulation of illicit drugs across the country.
