NDLEA Busts Another Tramadol Cartel, Seizes Over N5billion Opioids In Lagos

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), at the weekend busted another Tramadol cartel in Lagos with the seizure of millions of opioids pills and bottles worth over five billion naira (N5billion) from their warehouse in Amuwo Odofin area of the state and arrested two of the kingpins.

It would be recalled that officers of the Agency on January 10, 2023, intercepted an imported consignment of Loud, a strong variant of cannabis, weighing 4, 878.72 kilograms along Awolowo road Ikoyi, Lagos. After a near fatal encounter with some suspected fake security agents escorting the drugs, the NDLEA operatives succeeded in recovering the consignment with a white truck marked BDG 548 XX conveying it.

A statement by Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi on Sunday, said that this was followed by the seizure of 121,630 pills of pharmaceutical opioids and some quantity of Molly from a dealer, Charles Okeke on January 11, 2023 at Idumota area of Lagos Island.

“Another effort by the Agency to bring the drug cartels to their kneels paid off on Friday 13th Jan when operatives tracked and located a major warehouse for pharmaceutical opioids at 17 Sir Ben Onyeka street, off Ago palace way in Amuwo Odofin area of the state while the owner of the store, Aloysius Okeke was arrested,” the statement said.

“Illicit drugs recovered from the warehouse include: Three Million Two Hundred and Sixty Four Thousand Six Hundred and Thirty (3,264,630) pills of tramadol; Three Thousand Four Hundred and Ninety (3,490) bottles of codeine and Nine Hundred and Fifteen Thousand (915,000) capsules of pregabalin 300mg.

“This came on the heels of the arrest of a suspect, Olarenwaju Lawal Wahab who distributes for the cartel same day. Recovered from his white Mercedes distribution bus include: 14,690 bottles of codeine-based syrup; 402, 500 tablets of Tramadol 250mg; 50,000 tablets of Tramadol 225mg and 210,000 capsules of pregabalin 300mg,” it added.