Barely three weeks after seizing codeine in 6,125 cartons containing 1,050,000 bottles worth ₦7.35bn in street value, at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne, Rivers State, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has announced it intercepted another batch of the product, this time, seven containers bearing 1, 229, 400 bottles of codeine syrup worth ₦9.8bn at the same port.
This latest seizure, made on Thursday 18th July 2024, the agency say is the fourth and last set of such consignments that have been under the watchlist of the agency’s Maritime Special Operations Unit Targeting Team, which worked in partnership with the Port Harcourt Ports Command of the Agency and other security agencies, including the Customs Service for a 100 per cent joint examination of the targeted containers.
A statement by the Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, Femi Babafemi, on Friday, said the feat was achieved following credible intelligence, and months of diligent tracking of the consignments from their port of departure.
The statement read, “At the joint examination of the containers with other security agencies on Thursday, all seven containers were found bearing a total of 8,774 cartons of codeine-based cough syrup with 1, 229, 400 bottles weighing 184,410 kilograms.
“A breakdown of the shipments that came from India via the Maersk Vigo Vessel shows that the container marked SEKU 6439421 has 875 cartons with 175,000 bottles of codeine weighing 26,250kg.”
Other items in the container include 70 cartons of chili cutters and 55 cartons of Hyregra tablets weighing 1,100kg.
Another container marked CMAU 9410422 contains 875 cartons of codeine with 175,000 bottles weighing 26,250 kg.
Other items in the container include 15 cartons of chili cutters and 60 cartons of Hyregra tablets weighing 1,200 kg.
Also, the container marked TLLU 7595503 has a total of 1, 754 cartons of codeine syrup containing 179, 400 bottles weighing 26,910kg.
Four other containers marked: TRHU 515117; CMAU 7877125; CMAU 8533700; and CMAU 3882205, contain 175,000 bottles of the same substance each in addition to other items such as chili cutters, cartons of Hyregra tablets and diclofenac used to mask the shipments.
