NDLEA Seizes Over N5bn Worth of Loud, Codeine in Major Port Drug Bust

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted consignments of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, and codeine-based cough syrup valued at over N5 billion at major seaports in Lagos and Rivers states.

The seizures followed intelligence gathering and surveillance of the shipments from their ports of origin, according to the NDLEA.

At the Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives, working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders, conducted an examination of a container shipped from Bangkok, Thailand. The exercise led to the recovery of 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg, valued at about ₦372 million, concealed inside refrigerators and cartons.

At the Onne Port in Rivers State, two containers earlier placed on the agency’s watchlist were subjected to joint examination. Operatives discovered 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg concealed in a travelling bag and three vehicles — a Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra.

A second container was found to contain 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg. The NDLEA said the container originated from India and passed through Saudi Arabia before arriving in Nigeria. The combined street value of the Loud and codeine recovered at Onne was put at about ₦833.2 million.

At Tincan Island Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives and other security agencies examined another watchlisted container shipped from Montreal, Canada. The search uncovered 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg, concealed in a Toyota Sienna, a Hyundai Elantra, blue drums and jumbo bags inside the container.

The operations formed part of a wider nationwide crackdown by the anti-narcotics agency, which also recorded seizures and arrests in several states.

In a related operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the NDLEA arrested a 38-year-old Milan-bound businessman, Philip Tunde, after allegedly discovering 4.80kg of cocaine concealed in the soles of shoes and the railings of travelling bags.

The agency said 16 parcels of cocaine were recovered from eight pairs of shoes, while another 195 wraps were allegedly concealed in four travelling bags. The suspect was arrested while preparing to board a flight to Milan, Italy.