…Arrests 3 transnational traffickers with 558,000 pills of tramadol hidden in truck’s false belly

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA in FCT Abuja in a joint operation with their colleagues in Anambra have unraveled a syndicate which plants illicit drugs in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers in motor parks.

This was disclosed in a statement by the spokesperson of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi.

According to statement, their trick came to the fore when operatives in Abuja intercepted a consignment of methamphetamine in a Sienna bus coming from Nnewi Anambra State at Abaji, FCT on Saturday 20th June, 2026.

During a search of the bus, a waybill package was recovered containing whitish substances suspected to be methamphetamine concealed inside a black nylon bag, which was also put into another sack of clothes with the phone number of the receiver written on it.

A follow up operation conducted same day led to the arrest of the supposed receiver of the waybill Mrs. Gloria Peter at Utako motor park. She however vehemently denied knowledge and ownership of the package in her luggage.

This led to a swift arrest of the loaders of the Sienna bus in Nnewi where one of them revealed that the drug package was put into the woman’s bag by him on the directive of the driver of the bus Abdurrazak Isah.

His revelations made the driver to open up and mentioned one of his passengers Onyebuchi Victor Okoye as the actual owner of the drug. Onyebuchi was then picked up at Utako, FCT during another follow up operation. The illicit consignment weighed 467.7grams.

Operatives of a Special Operations Unit of NDLEA on Saturday 27th June acting on credible intelligence, arrested 57-year-old Ikechukwu Uwakwe at a motor park in Iddo, Lagos with 209.50kg Scottish Loud, a strong strain of cannabis. The illicit consignment was being taken to Enugu when it was intercepted.

Two nationals of Benin Republic: Hossou Tito Julien, 30; and Mancellim Dossou, 19 as well as a Nigerian Jackson ThankGod have been arrested by NDLEA operatives following credible intelligence. They were nabbed on the Mile 2 bridge when their truck conveying illicit drug consignment from Togo through Benin Republic was intercepted on Sunday 21st June.

A thorough search of the truck led to the recovery of Five Hundred and Fifty-Eight Thousand Nine Hundred (558,900) pills of Tramadol 250mg, concealed in a fabricated compartment of the vehicle.

Two suspects: Lucky Abonga and Osas Azamobo were also arrested along Lagos–Ibadan expressway on Friday 26th June while transporting 118kg skunk among other legitimate goods in a truck, which left Ebute Ero area of Lagos Island, heading to Onitsha, Anambra State.