NDLEA Intercepts 1.63 Million Tramadol Pills Hidden in Trucks Bound for Kano, Busts Transnational Drug Syndicate

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 1.63 million pills of tramadol (250mg) concealed in specially fabricated compartments of two articulated trucks travelling to Kano, uncovering what it described as a transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating across West Africa.

The agency said the latest seizures, combined with an earlier interception on the same route, have led to the recovery of more than 2.18 million tramadol pills linked to the same criminal network.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA's Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the agency said the operation was intelligence-driven and targeted a syndicate smuggling illicit drugs from Togo through the Benin Republic into Nigeria.

According to the statement, the first truck was intercepted on July 2 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway while transporting a consignment to Kano.

NDLEA operatives discovered 853,000 pills of tramadol (250mg) hidden inside a specially constructed compartment beneath the trailer's cargo floor and arrested the driver.

Acting on further intelligence, officers tracked and intercepted a second articulated truck on the same highway on July 4, also heading to Kano.

A search of the vehicle uncovered 777,000 pills of tramadol (250mg) concealed in an identical hidden compartment beneath the trailer. The driver was also taken into custody.

The agency said investigations established that the two trucks, together with another vehicle intercepted on June 21 carrying 558,900 tramadol pills, belonged to the same transnational trafficking network.

The NDLEA said the three operations exposed a coordinated cross-border smuggling operation moving prohibited drugs into Nigeria through neighbouring countries.

In a separate operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted two consignments of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing a combined 4.7 kilograms.

The consignments, which arrived from Canada aboard British Airways and Ethiopian Airlines flights on June 24 and July 3, were concealed inside cartons labelled "Odugwu."

The agency said investigations led to the arrest of cargo agents linked to the shipments, another suspect who attempted to collect the consignments from a logistics company, and the alleged owner of the drugs in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force.

In Rivers State, NDLEA operatives arrested an 80-year-old man during an operation in Ahoada on July 14, recovering 800 grams of skunk allegedly in his possession.

In Edo State, officers raided a suspected drug warehouse along Sapele Road, Benin City, arresting a couple and recovering 22 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 219.5 kilograms, along with compressed blocks of Canadian Loud weighing 192.67 kilograms.

The agency also disclosed that investigations into the seizure of 50,000 tramadol (225mg) pills in Kogi State on July 12 led to the arrest of two suspects in the Apapa area of Lagos, where they were tracked and apprehended.

Beyond enforcement operations, the NDLEA said it continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, conducting drug awareness and sensitisation programmes in secondary schools across Katsina, Enugu, Lagos, Rivers, Ekiti and Kano states to educate students on the dangers of substance abuse.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), commended officers of the agency's commands in Lagos, Rivers, Edo and Kogi for the successful operations, describing the seizures and arrests as significant milestones in the fight against illicit drug trafficking.

He urged personnel to remain vigilant and sustain ongoing efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks and curb substance abuse across the country.