NDLEA Intercepts Saudi-Bound Cannabis in Palm Oil Keg, ₦6.98bn Tramadol

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted cannabis concealed in a gallon of palm oil destined for Saudi Arabia and seized 8,725 kilogrammes of tramadol powder valued at more than ₦6.98 billion in Lagos.

The agency disclosed the seizures in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

According to the statement, NDLEA operatives on Friday, October 16, intercepted a female passenger, Fatimah Ahmad, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while she was preparing to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, via Addis Ababa.

A search revealed parcels of cannabis weighing 511.75 grammes concealed inside a gallon of palm oil. Ahmad reportedly told investigators that her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya, had given her the container. Yahaya was subsequently arrested at the airport car park.

In a separate operation at the APM terminals in Apapa, Lagos, NDLEA operatives, working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies, uncovered a shipment of powdered tramadol imported from India and declared as maize starch.

The shipment was intercepted on October 2, while a confirmatory test at the agency’s forensic laboratory identified the substance as tramadol hydrochloride powder.

When the consignment was separated from its concealment on Wednesday, October 14, it was found to comprise 349 bags weighing a total of 8,725 kilogrammes. The agency estimated its street value at more than ₦6.98 billion.

At the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, operatives also discovered 55 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis valued at ₦165 million. The substance was reportedly hidden inside a Toyota Sienna vehicle shipped in a 40-foot container.

Other operations across the country led to additional seizures and arrests.

In Lagos, operatives raided Idumota Market on October 14 and arrested Elizabeth Chidera Kalu, recovering 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection and 6,500 tablets of Molly from her store.

Two men were also arrested in Mushin with more than 121 kilogrammes of cannabis, while another operation along Iyana Oba led to the recovery of 18,000 tramadol 250mg pills concealed in cartons labelled as insecticide.

In Edo State, six suspects were arrested during operations in several communities, while NDLEA operatives in Ondo State destroyed 7,500 kilogrammes of cannabis at a farm and arrested five suspects.

The agency said further seizures were made in Bauchi and other locations as part of its ongoing efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks.

NDLEA has repeatedly warned Nigerians against accepting parcels or luggage from others without knowing their contents, stressing that individuals may face legal consequences when illicit substances are found in their possession.