Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted more than 1.5 million pills of Tramadol concealed in two trucks that entered Nigeria through the Benin Republic border, dealing a major blow to drug trafficking syndicates.
The latest seizure comes barely a week after NDLEA officers in Lagos intercepted a truck carrying 558,900 pills of Tramadol 250mg hidden in a specially constructed false-bottom compartment made of thick iron sheets.
The development was disclosed on Sunday in a statement by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to Babafemi, intelligence-led operations led to the interception of two additional trucks using the same concealment method and route from Togo through the Benin Republic into Nigeria.
He said the trucks were carrying more than three times the quantity of Tramadol recovered from the earlier truck and were allegedly transporting the drugs to northern Nigeria.
Babafemi described the operation as another major setback for drug trafficking networks operating across the region.
“In yet another deadly blow to the backbone of tramadol cartels in Nigeria, coming barely a week after NDLEA officers in Lagos intercepted a truck loaded with 558,900 pills of Tramadol 250mg concealed in a false-bottom compartment constructed with thick iron sheets, operatives acting on intelligence have again intercepted two more trucks using the same concealment method and route.
“This time, over 1.5 million pills of Tramadol meant for delivery to the North were recovered, effectively blocking what would have been a massive supply to bandits and other criminal gangs,” he said.
Babafemi added that with trafficking routes through the nation’s seaports increasingly blocked, drug cartels were now attempting to use land borders to smuggle illicit drugs into the country.
He described the seizure as a significant victory in the fight against drug trafficking, saying it would help protect Nigerian youths, strengthen public health and enhance national security.
