NDLEA intercepts N9.8bn worth of codeine shipments from India

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), have intercepted seven containers bearing 1,229,400 bottles of codiene syrup worth over N9,835,200 billion at the Onne ports in Rivers.

This is contained in a statement by the NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi on Friday in Abuja.

Babafemi said that the seizure came barely three weeks after operatives intercepted 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup containing 1,050,000 bottles of the opioid worth over N7, 3 billion in street value, at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne, Rivers.

He said that the latest seizure made on Thursday July 18 was the fourth and last set of such consignments that have been under the watchlist of the agency’s Maritime Special Operations Unit Targetting Team.

He added that the team had worked in partnership with the Port Harcourt Ports command of the agency and other security agencies including the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

This, he said was for a 100 percent joint examination of the targeted containers adding that it followed credible intelligence and months of diligent tracking of the consignments from their port of departure.

“At the joint examination of the containers with other security agencies on Thursday July 18, all the seven containers were found bearing a total of 8,774 cartons of codeine-based cough syrup containing 1, 229, 400 bottles, weighing 184,410 kilograms.

“A breakdown of the shipments that came from India via the Maersk Vigo Vessel shows that the container marked SEKU 6439421 has 875 cartons with 175,000 bottles of codeine weighing 26,250kg.

“Other items in the container include 70 cartons of chilli cutters and 55 cartons of hyregra tablets weighing 1,100kg. Another container marked CMAU 9410422 contains 875 cartons of codeine with 175,000 bottles weighing 26,250 kg.

“Other items in the container include 15 cartons of chilli cutters and 60 cartons of hyregra tablets weighing 1,200 kg. Also, the container marked TLLU 7595503 has a total of 1, 754 cartons of codeine syrup containing 179, 400 bottles weighing 26,910kg.

“Four other containers marked: TRHU 515117; CMAU 7877125; CMAU 8533700; and CMAU 3882205 contain 175,000 bottles of the same substance each in addition to other items such as chilli cutters, cartons of hyregra tablets and diclofenac used to mask the shipments,”.

In his response to the latest seizure, NDLEA Chairman, retired, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa commended all the personnel that had been working on the targeted containers for months for their diligence, vigilance and professionalism.

Marwa equally praised the support received from other stakeholders at the ports that enabled the seamless and successful operations in the course of targeting the shipments.

He said the operation, which had inflicted heavy losses on the cartels behind the shipments has further degraded their capacity and financial base.