TheCable

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Vyapak Nutal, an Indian businessman, for allegedly smuggling 134,700 bottles of codeine syrup into the country.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesman, said the suspect allegedly loaded trucks with the syrup in Benin Republic.

He was said to have come in through the border of Niger Republic and arrived Sokoto in Nigeria.

“Settled in a hotel in Sokoto state, credible intelligence reveals that Nutal began to look for buyers for the controlled drug,” the statement reads.

“While operatives were on his trail, officers of the Department of State Services were able to apprehend him and swiftly handed him over to NDLEA on Wednesday,  10th February, 2022.”

The spokesman also said the agency busted a move to traffick large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, khat, tramadol and cannabis through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.

“At the Lagos airport, operatives on Tuesday, 8th Feb, arrested one Felix Rotimi Eshemokhai with 1.75kg heroin while trying to board Royal Air Maroc to Casablanca, Morocco, while another trafficker, Okafor Emmanuel Onuzuruike, was also nabbed same day during his bid to travel on RwandAir to Dubai with 2.2kg of cannabis concealed in foodstuff,” Babafemi said.

“Not less than 25 kilograms of Methamphetamine, Tramadol, Cannabis and Khat concealed in motor parts, MP3 player, speaker and fabrics heading to USA, UK, Australia, Dubai and Madagascar were seized at three major courier companies in Lagos.

“In Gombe state, 31,000 capsules of Tramadol were recovered from a truck that left Onitsha, Anambra state, for Mubi, Adamawa state and the owner, Ibrahim Tukur Bage, arrested on Friday 11th Feb, while attempting to escape.

“This followed the arrest of Aliu Salami, 43, with 143.9kg cannabis at Oke-Ata, Abeokuta South LGA, Ogun state, on Wednesday, 9th February.”