Temitope Felix, Abuja
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in a major crackdown has intercepted a shipment of codeine syrup worth over N9.8 billion at the Onne Ports complex, Rivers State. This operation comes just three weeks after the agency seized a previous consignment worth N7.35 billion.
According to the agency's spokesman Femi Babafemi, the latest seizure, made on Thursday, July 18, 2024, involved seven containers carrying a total of 1,229,400 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup, weighing 184,410 kilograms. This consignment marks the fourth and final batch of a series of shipments from India that the NDLEA’s Maritime Special Operations Unit had been monitoring.
The operation was a coordinated effort involving the NDLEA, the Port Harcourt Ports Command, the Customs Service, and other security agencies. Following credible intelligence and months of diligent tracking, the containers were jointly examined, revealing 8,774 cartons of the illegal substance.
A breakdown of the intercepted shipments shows that:
- Container SEKU 6439421 held 875 cartons with 175,000 bottles of codeine, weighing 26,250kg, along with 70 cartons of chilli cutters and 55 cartons of hyregra tablets.
- Container CMAU 9410422 contained 875 cartons of codeine with 175,000 bottles, weighing 26,250kg, in addition to 15 cartons of chilli cutters and 60 cartons of hyregra tablets.
- Container TLLU 7595503 held 1,754 cartons of codeine syrup with 179,400 bottles, weighing 26,910kg.
- Four other containers (TRHU 515117, CMAU 7877125, CMAU 8533700, and CMAU 3882205) each contained 175,000 bottles of codeine along with various other items used to mask the shipments.
Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, praised the officers involved for their diligence, vigilance, and professionalism. He also acknowledged the support from other stakeholders at the ports, which was crucial for the successful operation. Marwa stated that this seizure has inflicted significant financial losses on the cartels behind the shipments and further degraded their operational capacity.
"This operation demonstrates our commitment to disrupting the activities of drug cartels and protecting the health and well-being of Nigerians. The financial blow to these cartels is substantial, and we will continue to work tirelessly to combat drug trafficking in all its forms," Marwa said.