NDLEA recovers N4.8bn worth of opioids in Lagos warehouse, intercepts $20m counterfeit in Abuja

<p>The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has announced that its operatives have seized a multi-billion naira illicit drugs warehouse at the International Trade Fair Complex, Lagos.</p>, <p>The anti-narcotic agency disclosed that items recovered from the warehouse, allegedly owned by a wanted billionaire drug baron, include: 1.4 million pills of tramadol 225mg weighing 826kgs; 3.2 million pills of codeine with gross weight of 3,360kgs; and 2,841 cartons of codeine syrup containing 284,100 bottles with 28,410 litres of the psychoactive substance, with a combined street value of N4,820,500,000.</p>, <p>This was announced in a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja.</p>, <p>According to the statement, a suspect, Paulinus Ojukwu, a security aide to the wanted drug baron, was arrested and is now assisting ongoing investigation.</p>, <p>The agency said the latest drug warehouse bust is coming on the heels of the arrest of an alleged drug baroness, Faith Ebele Nwankwo, who was nabbed on Wednesday with 2,750,000 pills of tramaking, a brand of tramadol 225mg and 250mg, recovered from her residence in Lagos.</p>, <p>Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives on Friday also intercepted $20 million suspected to be counterfeit during a stop-and-search operation along Abaji-Lokoja road within the Federal Capital Territory.</p>, <p>The suspected fake money was recovered from a bus coming from Lagos to Abuja, while the 53-year-old driver, Onyebuchi Nlededin, was arrested.</p>, <p>Another suspect, Jude Ndubuisi, 52, was arrested on Thursday with 2.2 kilograms of methamphetamine during a raid at Kabusa village, FCT.</p>, <p>According to the NDLEA, he was initially arrested with 20.75kg of cannabis in July last year and was still on court bail when he was rearrested for yet another drug crime.</p>, <p>Similarly, a raid of two notorious drug joints within the FCT towns of Dei Dei and Tora-Bora Hills led to the recovery of 82.8kg skunk, 1.8kg rohypnol and 1.2kg diazepam on W