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 another major blow to drug trafficking networks.
The development was disclosed in a statement shared on Sunday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, via his 𝕏 account.
According to the statement, the latest operation came just one week after NDLEA officers in Lagos seized 558,900 pills of 250mg Tramadol hidden inside a specially designed false-bottom compartment reinforced with thick iron sheets beneath a truck.
Babafemi explained that the recent seizure followed credible intelligence, which led operatives to intercept two additional trucks using the same concealment technique and smuggling route from Togo through the Benin Republic into Nigeria.
He noted that the two trucks contained more than three times the quantity recovered in the earlier operation, with the illicit drugs reportedly destined for northern Nigeria.
Describing the operation as a major setback for drug trafficking syndicates, Babafemi said the seizure prevented the large consignment from reaching bandits and other criminal groups.
He added that with tighter security at the nation’s seaports, traffickers have increasingly turned to land borders, but the NDLEA has continued to frustrate their operations.
The agency described the interception as a significant victory in protecting Nigerian youths, safeguarding public health, strengthening national security and disrupting the activities of criminal networks.