The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has said it intercepted no fewer than 100,000 bottles of codeine syrup with a total weight of 15,325kg in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Thursday.
This was contained in a statement on Saturday by the Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi.
He said the illicit substance, cough syrup with codeine (100mg), was packed in 500 cartons and concealed in a container marked MRKU 1565305.
Babafemi said the container, which had made-in-India imprint, was discovered on Thursday, June 10, in a warehouse at Onne port complex during a joint examination with officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, State Security Service, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, among others.
He said the seizure followed a tip-off from NDLEA, whereby the container was put on hold and moved to the Customs Government warehouse within the port complex.
He noted that no importer or agent had come forward in respect of the container, adding however that efforts were ongoing to track the owner for further investigation and prosecution.
Meanwhile, in a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja seized nine cartons of khat, weighing 146.95kg, at the cargo wing of the airport.
The consignment, packaged as dried green tea, was shipped from Addis Ababa, on board Ethiopian Airline’s flight ET911.
After initial examination, a clearing agent was asked to report with the consignee before its release but failed to do so for fear of arrest, a development that led to a laboratory test on the consignment, which tested positive to khat and the eventual seizure.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Mohammed Marwa (rtd), in his reaction, hailed the synergy among various government agencies at Onne port and charged them not to rest on their oars as they strive daily to keep Nigeria safe.
He commended the commander, officers and men of the Port-Harcourt Port Command and their Abuja Airport Command counterparts for their vigilance and commitment to the task of ridding Nigeria of illicit drugs.
“The damage 100,000 bottles of codeine would have done to our youths if they had slipped through the port to our villages, towns and cities is unimaginable; 146.95kg of khat could have done the same damage if allowed on our streets,” he stressed.
Marwa, however, appealed to the officers to continue to motivate the rank and file to give their best across the country, adding that “ultimately with the support of all our stakeholders and partners, we will win the battle against illicit drug trafficking and abuse.”
