NDLEA arrests drug baron, recovers 548,000 Tramadol tablets in Anambra

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives on Saturday arrested a suspected drug baron, Okeke Chijioke, in Anambra State.

The state’s command of NDLEA confirmed the suspect’s arrest in a statement on Sunday.

According to the agency, Okeke’s arrest followed credible intelligence and surveillance which confirmed he stocked his warehouse at Nkwelle, Oyi local government area of the state with Tramadol but branded as Tarkadol.

According to NDLEA, 548,000 tablets of Tarkadol weighing 302.500 kilograms were recovered during a search on the suspect’s warehouse.

READ ALSO: NDLEA seizes Tramadol capsules worth N50m in Adamawa

The agency revealed that preliminary investigation revealed that Tarkadol is a brand of Tramadol that has just been introduced into the market to evade the public’s attention.

The statement read: “The substance has also tested positive to amphetamine. The drug was equally labeled 100mg pain reliever on its packs to avoid scrutiny, while laboratory tests confirmed it’s a 225mg drug.

“It was further discovered that the drug was manufactured in India and smuggled into Nigeria without NAFDAC number or certification. During the search on the warehouse, a double-barrel pump action gun with three live cartridges whose license expired in 2019 was also discovered and recovered.”

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