The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully dismantled a trans-border drug trafficking syndicate, leading to the arrest of four key members and the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit drugs......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
The operation, executed through intelligence-driven surveillance, uncovered tramadol pills worth millions of naira concealed in hidden compartments of Sienna buses destined for border towns.
NDLEA’s director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the operation followed weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance by the Directorate of Intelligence.
A major breakthrough was achieved when operatives intercepted a Sienna bus with registration number ABJ 452 HG on the Nasarawa-Toto Road, Keffi, Nasarawa state.
“On Tuesday, January 27, 2025, at 6 a.m., two suspects, Zahradeen Adamu, 27, and Abubakar Usman, 44, were arrested in the vehicle traveling from Onitsha, Anambra state, to Yola, Adamawa state. A second Sienna bus, driven by Abba Usman, 48, was also intercepted,” Babafemi stated.
A meticulous search of the two vehicles led to the discovery of specially constructed steel compartments hidden behind the back bumper and under the spare tire housing. A total of 190,960 tramadol pills were recovered from these secret compartments.
Further investigations traced the supply of the illicit drugs to Kingsley Mbaeri, an Onitsha-based dealer. A swift follow-up operation on January 29 led to Mbaeri’s arrest at his residence on Uga Street, Onitsha.
Two vehicles-a Toyota Corolla (FGG 948 MF) and a Toyota Sienna (GWA 23 HH)-were also seized from his premises.
On February 4, operatives of the Intelligence Department intercepted a commercial bus from Onitsha at the Abaji checkpoint, FCT Abuja.
A passenger, Chimezie Henry Ojingwa, 32, was found carrying motor spare parts in a black bag, which, upon search, was discovered to contain 404.47 grams of methamphetamine, 506.49 grams of Loud (a synthetic strain of cannabis), and 262.32 grams of dimethyl sulfone, a precursor for meth production.
On February 13, NDLEA officers patrolling the Ogoja-Abakaliki Road in Yahe intercepted a truck driven by Paul Chukwudi, 31, carrying 170,000 tramadol pills.
At the Apapa seaport on February 11, operatives recovered 85,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup from a container imported from India.
On February 14, two suspects, Halilu Isa and Gambo Umaru, were arrested on Bama Road, Maiduguri, with 60 compressed blocks of skunk, weighing 72 kilograms.