The agency reported that the suspects were apprehended during intelligence-led operations, which led to the recovery of multi-million-naira worth of tramadol pills concealed in the bumper and false bottom of Sienna buses heading to border towns.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the successful busting of a trans-border drug trafficking syndicate, resulting in the arrest of four suspects.

The agency reported that the suspects were apprehended during intelligence-led operations, which led to the recovery of multi-million-naira worth of tramadol pills concealed in the bumper and false bottom of Sienna buses heading to border towns.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, revealed that following weeks of intelligence and surveillance operations by the Directorate of Intelligence, a Sienna bus marked ABJ 452 HG was intercepted on January 27 at 6am on Nasarawa-Toto Road in Keffi, Nasarawa State.

According to Babafemi, two suspects, 27-year-old Zahradeen Adamu and 44-year-old Abubakar Usman, were arrested in the vehicle travelling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Yola, Adamawa State.

Babafemi also stated that a second Sienna bus, driven by 48-year-old Abba Usman, was intercepted as part of the operation.

He said, “During a search of the two vehicles, specially constructed steel compartments were discovered after the removal of the back bumper where a total of 190, 960 pills of tramadol were concealed and, in the space, designed to house the spare tyre of the vehicles.

“Investigations revealed that an Onitsha, Anambra state-based dealer, Kingsley Mbaeri, was the supplier of the seized tramadol consignment.

“A swift follow-up operation led to the arrest of Mbaeri at his Uga Street, Onitsha home on 29th January.

“Two vehicles: a Toyota Corolla car marked FGG 948 MF and a Toyota Sienna bus marked GWA 23 HH were recovered from his house.

“In another interdiction, operatives of the Intelligence Department intercepted a commercial bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra State at Abaji checkpoint, FCT Abuja on 4th February.

“A passenger in the bus, Chimezie Henry Ojingwa, 32, carrying motor spare parts in a black bag was arrested.

“When his bag was searched, 404.47grams of methamphetamine; 506.49grams of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis and 262.32 grams of dimethyl sulfone, a precursor substance for mixing meth, all of which were concealed in the motor parts were recovered.”

The NDLEA spokesperson further stated that in Cross River State, officers of the agency on patrol along the Ogoja-Abakaliki road in Yahe intercepted 170,000 pills of tramadol in a truck driven by 31-year-old Paul Chukwudi on February 13.

Additionally, operatives at the Apapa seaport in Lagos recovered 85,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup in a container imported from India on February 11.

Babafemi reported that two suspects, identified as Halilu Isa and Gambo Umaru, were apprehended on Bama Road in Maiduguri, Borno State on Friday. They were found with 60 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 72kg.

In Ekiti State on February 11, NDLEA operatives raided a notorious drug joint on Iloda Street in Ikole-Ekiti, arresting three suspects.

The suspects were identified as 57-year-old Bala Muhammed, 55-year-old Yahaya Adamu, and 30-year-old Abdullahi Shehu, and a total of 83 kilograms of skunk were recovered from them.

In Lagos, 28-year-old Samiat Olabisi Yussuf was arrested on Saturday by NDLEA operatives during a raid on her Lekki home, where 169.5 litres of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, and 111 grams of Loud were recovered.

“Not less than 132.84 kilograms of skunk were recovered from two suspects: Ibrahim Usman, 40, and Solomon James, 40, in Taraba,” Babafemi said.

“While Usman was nabbed with 88kg of Arizona and Ghana Loud at Wukari, James was arrested with 44.84kg of same substance at Takanaba, Sabongari, in Jalingo LGA.”