NDLEA Seizes Large Cache of Illicit Drugs Across Seven States, Arrests 15 Suspects

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted significant quantities of illicit drugs in a series of coordinated raids across seven states, arresting 15 suspects in the process.

The operations, carried out between Wednesday and Saturday last week, led to the seizure of banned substances including Tramadol, opioids, methamphetamine, cannabis, cocaine, and heroin, according to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi.

In Kano State, a suspected trafficker was apprehended with 36,000 pills of Tramadol along the Danbatta-Kazaure road on Wednesday. Two days later, operatives in Gombe arrested a suspect at the Gombe Roundabout with 25,000 pills of Tramadol and Exol-5. On the same day, two more suspects were nabbed in Kwadom, Yemaltu Deba LGA, with 49 blocks of compressed skunk weighing 29kg.

In Borno State, NDLEA officers intercepted 74,360 opioid pills from a 44-year-old suspect traveling in a Mercedes Benz along Baga Road, Maiduguri, on Saturday.

A separate intelligence-led operation in Narayi High Cost area of Chikun LGA, Kaduna State, resulted in the arrest of three suspects the same day.

In Bayelsa, a 63-year-old grandmother was caught with 163 liters of “skuchies” — a locally brewed psychoactive substance — in the Osiri area of Yenagoa on Thursday.

Along the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State, four suspects were apprehended while transporting 2kg of methamphetamine from Onitsha to Minna.

In Abia State, a notorious drug dealer’s base was raided, with officers recovering quantities of Tramadol, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and N736,000 in cash.

Also, a popular hotel in Lagos State—allegedly run as a family operation—was raided for distributing party drugs. The NDLEA seized 1.3kg of cannabis, 900g of cannabis-infused gummies, 22.9g of skunk, and impounded three vehicles from the premises.

The NDLEA says it remains committed to intensifying its nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking and abuse.