NDLEA Says It Seized Over Two Billion Tramadol Pills In 18 Months

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency says it has seized more than two billion tramadol pills in the last 18 months, linking the haul to tighter intelligence work with foreign partners.

NDLEA chairman Buba Marwa disclosed the figure on Thursday during a visit to the Lekki Free Trade Zone and Lekki Deep Sea Port in Lagos. Punch and Daily Post both reported that he credited the seizures to coordinated operations and information-sharing with authorities in India and Pakistan.

Marwa warned traffickers against using Nigeria’s seaports to move illicit drugs, saying the agency had improved surveillance and intelligence capacity around key entry points.

He said the NDLEA was working with the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, and other security agencies under existing agreements to share intelligence and transfer cases.

The NDLEA chairman also called for closer cooperation among government agencies, port operators and businesses in the Lekki Free Trade Zone. He described the deep sea port and the free trade zone as national assets that require joint protection from criminal networks.

Marwa said the fight against drug abuse and trafficking could not be left to the agency alone, and urged wider public and institutional support as drug misuse continues to affect young Nigerians.

Sources: Punch, Daily Post