NDLEA intercepts ‘fake’ $20m cash in Abuja, recovers N4.8bn opiods in Lagos

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted $20 million cash suspected to be counterfeit.

 

The agency said its operatives found the stash on Friday during a stop and search operation along Abaji-Lokoja road in the federal capital territory (FCT).

 

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the suspected fake dollars was recovered from a bus coming from Lagos to Abuja, while the driver of the vehicle has been arrested.

 

The agency also seized illicit drugs recovered at a warehouse in Alaba market in Lagos state.

The warehouse is said to be owned by a wanted billionaire drug baron who parades as an automobile spare parts dealer.

 

The NDLEA spokesperson said the illicit drugs recovered from the warehouse are worth N4,820,500,000.

 

“Recovered from the warehouse owned by a wanted billionaire drug baron, include: 1.4 million (1,400,000) pills of tramadol 225mg weighing 826kgs; 3.2 million (3,200,000) pills of codeine with gross weight of 3,360kgs; and 2,841 cartons of codeine syrup containing 284,100 bottles with 28,410 litres of the psychoactive substance, with a combined street value of four billion eight hundred and twenty million five hundred thousand naira (N4,820,500,000) only,” the statement reads.

 

Babafemi said the NDLEA operatives arrested a suspect, Paulinus Ojukwu, who acts as the chief security officer to the wanted suspect.