The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an Indian businessman, Vyapak Nutal for allegedly smuggling 134,700 bottles of Codeine syrup into the country.
According to a statement by the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the suspect smuggled Codeine syrup through the land border between Nigeria and the Niger Republic in Sokoto state.
The statement said the suspect loaded the consignment into trucks in Cotonou, Benin Republic and drove through the land borders via the Niger Republic before entering Sokoto state at the Illela border.
It also said the suspect settled in a hotel in Sokoto state, with “credible intelligence” revealing that Mr Nutal actually started to canvass for buyers for the controlled drug.
While operatives were on Mr Nutal’s trail, officers of the Department of State Security (DSS) were able to apprehend him, swiftly handing him over to the NDLEA last Wednesday.
In a related development, attempts by drug traffickers to export large quantities of Heroin, Methamphetamine, Khat, Tramadol and Cannabis using the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and three courier companies in Lagos have been thwarted by narcotic officers.
On Tuesday, NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport arrested one Felix Rotimi Eshemokhai with 1.75kg of heroin while trying to board Royal Air Maroc to Casablanca, Morocco, as another trafficker, Okafor Emmanuel Onuzuruike, was also nabbed the same day when he attempted to travel on RwandAir to Dubai with 2.2kg of Cannabis concealed in foodstuff.
Mr Babafemi disclosed that not less than 25 kilograms of Methamphetamine, Tramadol, Cannabis and Khat were concealed in motor parts, MP3 player, speaker and fabrics headed for the US, UK, Australia, Dubai and Madagascar.
He said the consignments were all seized at three major courier companies in Lagos.
RN