Nigeria’s Anti-Narcotics Agency Seizes 8.7 Tonnes Of Tramadol Worth Nearly N7Billion At Lagos Port | Sahara Reporters
Following further examination and separation of the substance from its concealment on Wednesday, October 14, the shipment was found to comprise 349 bags of tramadol hydrochloride powder, with a gross weight of 8,725 kilogrammes.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 8,725 kilogrammes of powdered tramadol, valued at more than N6.98 billion in street value, at the Apapa port in Lagos.
The consignment, imported from India, was allegedly concealed in a shipment declared as maize starch before being intercepted during a joint examination involving NDLEA operatives, the Nigeria Customs Service and other relevant agencies.
According to the NDLEA, in a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, its Director of Media and Advocacy, on Sunday, the initial discovery was made on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the APM terminals in Apapa.
Following further examination and separation of the substance from its concealment on Wednesday, October 14, the shipment was found to comprise 349 bags of tramadol hydrochloride powder, with a gross weight of 8,725 kilogrammes.
A confirmatory test conducted at the NDLEA’s forensic laboratory established that the substance was tramadol hydrochloride powder rather than the maize starch declared in the shipment.
The agency valued the seized consignment at more than N6.98 billion on the illicit drug market.
The seizure was among several operations conducted by the NDLEA across Nigeria in October as the agency intensified efforts to disrupt the importation, distribution and sale of illicit drugs.
In a separate operation at the Tincan Island port in Lagos on Monday, October 12, operatives discovered 55 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud, valued at N165 million, concealed in a Toyota Sienna vehicle inside a 40-foot shipping container.
The consignment was reportedly packed in brown cartons and discovered during a joint examination of the container by the NDLEA, Customs and other agencies.
Elsewhere in Lagos, the agency said it arrested a woman, Elizabeth Chidera Kalu, during a raid on Idumota Market on Wednesday, October 14, recovering 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection and 6,500 tablets of Molly from her store.
In another operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck travelling from Trade Fair Market along the Iyana Oba axis on Thursday, October 15. A search reportedly uncovered 18,000 tablets of tramadol 250mg concealed in cartons labelled as Rambo insecticide.
Two suspects, identified as Tajudeen Adeduntan, the truck’s loading manager, and his assistant, Azeez Sikiru, were arrested in connection with the consignment.
The NDLEA said the operations were part of its broader campaign against drug trafficking and the distribution of illicit pharmaceutical products.
The agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers attached to the Apapa and Tincan commands, alongside other formations involved in the nationwide operations.
He urged personnel to sustain intelligence-led enforcement and continue efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks.