Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted another batch of seven containers with 1,229,400 bottles of codeine worth ₦9,835,200,000.00.
Naija News understands that the shipments were seized at the Onne Ports in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State.
The seizure comes barely three weeks after 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup worth ₦7, 350,000,000.00 were intercepted in Rivers.
The agency disclosed that the seizure is the fourth and last set of such consignments that have been under the watch list of the Agency’s Maritime Special Operations Unit Targeting Team. 
Speaking via a statement on Friday, the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said, “Barely three weeks after seizing 6,125 cartons of codeine syrup containing 1,050,000 bottles of the opioid worth over N7, 350,000,000.00 in street value, at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne, Rivers State, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have again intercepted another batch of seven containers bearing one million two hundred and twenty-nine thousand four hundred bottles of the same substance worth over N9,835,200,000.00 at the Onne ports.
“The latest seizure made on Thursday, July 18, 2024, 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. “
Babafemi said during a joint examination with other security agencies on Thursday, seven containers were found to contain 8,774 cartons of codeine-based cough syrup, totalling 1,229,400 bottles and weighing 184,410 kilograms.
He said, “This followed credible intelligence and months of diligent tracking of the consignments from their port of departure. 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 chilli cutters and 55 cartons of Hyregra tablets weighing 1,100kg.”
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