Indian Businessman, Three Nigerians Arrested Over ₦3.99bn Tramadol Seizure at Lagos Airport.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested an Indian national and three Nigerian accomplices in connection with the interception of over 2.2 million tramadol pills at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The drugs, valued at ₦3.99 billion, were disguised as multivitamins and imported from Delhi, India in 114 cartons, arriving via an Ethiopian Airlines flight on September 8, 2025. The pills—200mg and 225mg strength—were intercepted at the import shed of the Lagos airport.
The NDLEA identified the Indian suspect as Gupta Ravi Kumar, with the Nigerian suspects named as Ogunlana Noah Olanrewaju, Olushola Idrees Kayode, and Bakare Korede Muheeb.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the consignment was placed under surveillance until September 11, when two drivers and a clearing agent were apprehended attempting to move the shipment in trucks. A follow-up operation on September 12 led to the arrest of Kumar as he attempted to take delivery of the drugs.
Separate Drug Busts Across Lagos
In a related case, NDLEA officers on September 7 intercepted a passenger, Onyeganochi Stanley Ifeanyi, at the airport's Terminal 2 while boarding a Qatar Airways flight to Doha. 900 grams of skunk (a potent cannabis strain) concealed in crayfish were found in his luggage.
Ifeanyi, a first-time traveler, claimed the bag belonged to Ohadiegwu Anthony Uchenna, a Qatar-based Nigerian who accompanied him to the airport. Uchenna was immediately arrested, and a search of his hotel room in Ajao Estate led to the discovery of an additional 200 grams of the same substance. He reportedly intended to retrieve the bag in Doha if it passed through security undetected.
Seizures at Tincan Port and Third Mainland Bridge
On September 9, NDLEA and customs officers recovered 161 parcels of 'Canadian Loud' (81.7kg) and 1.2kg of hashish oil from a 40-foot container filled with used vehicles and spare parts imported from Montreal, Canada. Two suspects—John Ochigbo (53) and Okeke Kingsley (26)—were arrested.
In another bust on September 11, a Toyota Sienna carrying 65kg of Canadian Loud was tracked from the port to the Third Mainland Bridge, where the driver, Abubakar Ibrahim, was arrested.
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