Indian magnate, 3 others taken into custody over N3.9bn tramadol seized at Lagos airport
..as NDLEA intercepts drugs concealed inside a vehicle on 3rd Mainland bridge,
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have 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 Two Million Two Hundred and Forty-Eight Thousand (2,248,000) pills of tramadol 200mg/225mg at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.
The afency intercepted a shipment of tramadol worth Three Billion Nine Hundred and Ninety Million Naira (N3,990,000,000) in street value, which was imported from Delhi, India, disguised as multi-vitamins in 114 cartons. The shipment arrived at the Lagos airport on an Ethiopian Airline flight on Monday, 8th September 2025. NDLEA officers, who had the consignment under surveillance, apprehended a clearing agent and two drivers attempting to move the shipment out of the airport in two trucks on Thursday, 11th September. A follow-up operation on Friday resulted in the arrest of the Indian businessman Gupta Ravi Kumar, who was attempting to take delivery of the consignment.
On Sunday, September 7th, NDLEA operatives at Terminal 2’s departure gate intercepted Onyeganochi Stanley Ifeanyi, a passenger bound for Doha on a Qatar Airline flight. Upon searching his luggage, 900 grams of skunk, a cannabis strain concealed in crayfish, were discovered. Onyeganochi, a first-time traveler, alleged that the bag was entrusted to him by Ohadiegwu Anthony Uchenna, a Qatar-based Nigerian, who accompanied him to the airport.
His confession led to the arrest of Uchenna who was still within view. Operatives who later conducted a search of Uchenna’s hotel room in Ajao estate discovered additional 200grams of the same psychoactive substance. He claimed he was to return to Doha days later and pick the bag from the unsuspecting Onyeganochi if he had succeeded escaping security checks.
A joint examination conducted at the Tincan port in Lagos on Tuesday, 9th September, resulted in the recovery of 161 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 81.7kg, and 1.2kg of hashish oil hidden in a 40ft container of vehicle spare parts and used vehicles imported from Montreal, Canada. Two suspects, John Ochigbo, 53, and Okeke Kingsley, 26, have been apprehended in connection with the seizure.
A 65kg shipment of Canadian Loud was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the Third Mainland Bridge on Thursday, 11th September, while being conveyed in a Toyota Sienna vehicle, resulting in the recovery of the consignment and the arrest of the driver, Abubakar Ibrahim, 42.
In applauding the officers and various Commands for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) directed them and their colleagues across the country to continue the ongoing balanced approach to the Agency’s drug control efforts.
