N4.4bn worth of illicit syrup intercepted in Nigerian port

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recovered 636,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth N4.4 billion in street value at Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers State.

This is contained in a statement from the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Babafemi said the drugs were intercepted in shipments from India on 9 December, 11 December and 13 December.

He said the seizures were made during the joint examination of four containers by NDLEA officers, operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other security agencies at the port.

He said this was made possible following processed credible intelligence on the shipments by the NDLEA operatives.

“At the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers state, no fewer than 636,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth N4.4billion in street value were intercepted in shipments from India,” Mr Babafemi said.

The NDLEA spokesperson said the agency’s commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities, among other places, in the past week.

Mr Babafemi said he had a sensitisation lecture delivered to students and staff of City Comprehensive College, Ogidi, Anambra State, Government Secondary School, Toungo, Adamawa State, Bonny Camp Primary School, Victoria Island, Lagos State, and Government Junior Secondary School, Yarganji, Kano State.

He added that the Oyo state command of NDLEA delivered an enlightenment lecture to leaders, elders, youths, and residents of the Tapa community, among others.

This, he said, was a continuous process by the agency to reduce, to the barest minimum, the dangers of illicit drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking across the country.

Mr Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairperson, Buba Marwa, commending the officers and men of the agency’s Onne Commands for the arrests and seizures.

Mr Marwa, a retired brigadier-general, said the operational successes should show the drug barons and cartels that the agency had the capacity and intelligence network to track their movements and their consignments even before getting to Nigeria.

(NAN)