Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted a consignment of Captagon, an amphetamine-based stimulant, in Kwara State as part of ongoing nationwide anti-narcotics operations.
The agency disclosed this in a statement on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, noting that the seizure followed earlier intelligence-led operations, including a bust at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.
According to the statement, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bode Saadu Road on April 21 intercepted a suspect, Nasiru Mu’azu, in a trailer and recovered 10,000 pills of Captagon alongside other controlled substances.
In a separate operation at the same location on April 24, officers intercepted another trailer conveying a large cache of illicit drugs, including tramadol capsules and injections, as well as other pharmaceutical opioids. A suspect, Aminu Isah, was arrested in connection with the seizure.
In Oyo State, NDLEA officials intercepted a commercial bus along the Ibadan/Oyo Expressway, where a passenger, Eze Prince Emeka, was found to have ingested illicit drugs. He later excreted 45 wraps of cocaine weighing over one kilogram.
The agency said the suspect was attempting to traffic the drugs to Europe through a trans-Saharan route.
Further operations in Edo State led to the interception of a truck conveying over one million pills of pharmaceutical opioids along the Benin-Lagos Expressway, with two suspects arrested.
Additional seizures were recorded across several states. In Lagos, operatives arrested a suspect with 810 kilograms of cannabis, while in Bauchi and Ekiti states, large quantities of skunk were recovered. In Cross River State, NDLEA destroyed a significant cannabis plantation.
In Niger State, components suspected to be used for improvised explosive devices were recovered from a suspect, who has since been handed over to appropriate security agencies.
Chairman of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the operations, describing the Captagon seizure as a major blow to drug trafficking networks.
He warned that the substance, often linked to criminal and insurgent activities, remains a target for traffickers, adding that the agency would intensify efforts to curb its distribution.
