THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an Indian businessman, Gupta Ravi Kumar, and three Nigerian accomplices: Ogunlana Noah Olanrewaju, Olushola Idrees Kayode, and Bakare Korede Muheeb, in connection with the seizure of N3.9 billion worth of tramadol.
They were arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
According to a statement by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, September 14, the 200mg/225mg Tramadol was intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
The NDLEA said the tramadol was imported from Delhi, India, disguised as multi-vitamins in 114 cartons and arrived at the import shed of the Lagos airport on an Ethiopian Airlines flight on Monday, 8th September 2025.
The anti-drug agency said a team of NDLEA officers who had put the consignment under surveillance swooped on a clearing agent and two drivers who were trying to move the shipment out of the airport in two trucks on Thursday, September 11.
“A follow-up operation the following day, Friday, led to the arrest of the Indian businessman Gupta Ravi Kumar when he was trying to take delivery of the consignment.
“At the terminal 2 departure gate of the airport, NDLEA operatives on Sunday, 7th September, intercepted a passenger, Onyeganochi Stanley Ifeanyi, travelling on a Qatar Airlines flight to Doha.
“A search of his bag led to the recovery of 900grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis concealed in crayfish,” the NDLEA stated.
The agency added that as a first-time traveller, Onyeganochi claimed the bag was given to him to help take to Doha by a Qatar-based Nigerian, Ohadiegwu Anthony Uchenna, who actually followed him to the airport.
His confession led to the arrest of Uchenna, who was still within view.
Operatives who later searched Uchenna’s hotel room in Ajao Estate discovered an additional 200grams of the same psychoactive substance and claimed he was to return to Doha days later and pick up the bag from the unsuspecting Onyeganochi if he had succeeded in escaping security checks.
At the Tincan port in Lagos, NDLEA said a total of 161 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 81.7kg and 1.2 kg of hashish oil were recovered from a 40-foot container of vehicle spare parts and used vehicles imported from Montreal, Canada.
The drugs were intercepted during a joint examination of the shipment on Tuesday, September 9. Two suspects, John Ochigbo, 53, and Okeke Kingsley, 26, were taken into custody in connection with the seizure.
Another shipment of Canadian Loud with a total weight of 65 kg was tracked from the port to Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos, where NDLEA operatives intercepted a Toyota Sienna vehicle conveying the consignment, recovered it, and arrested the driver, Abubakar Ibrahim, 42, on Thursday, September 11.
In a related development, two separate shipments of methamphetamine concealed in a picture frame and Loud, hidden in video players, were seized at two courier companies in Lagos on Monday, September 8, and Thursday, September 11, respectively, by NDLEA operatives.
In the Ikorodu area of Lagos, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence on Thursday, September 11, raided a factory producing skuchies, a blend of cannabis and black currant drink.
The agency said no less than 6,029 bottles of the new psychoactive substance and 4,232 kg of cannabis were recovered from the factory located in the Caritas, Ibeshe area of Ikorodu, while the factory manager, Joy Awosika, was arrested.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance