The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully intercepted a large consignment of illicit drugs concealed in a specially constructed compartment of a bus.
The operation, which took place on January 27, 2025, along the Nasarawa-Toto road in Keffi, Nasarawa State, led to the arrest of four suspects and the recovery of multi-million-naira worth of tramadol pills.
According to the NDLEA spokesman, the drugs were hidden in a sophisticated compartment designed to evade detection, located in the bumper and false bottom of a Toyota Sienna bus marked ABJ 452 HG.
The agency shared videos of the seized contraband, highlighting the advanced methods used by drug traffickers to smuggle illegal substances across international borders.
The operation was the result of weeks of intelligence and surveillance by NDLEA operatives. Two suspects, Zahradeen Adamu, 27, and Abubakar Usman, 44, were apprehended in the vehicle traveling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Yola, Adamawa State. A second Sienna bus, driven by Abba Usman, 48, was also intercepted.
During the search, a total of 190,960 tramadol pills were discovered hidden in the specially constructed compartments.
Further investigations revealed that the drugs were supplied by Kingsley Mbaeri, a dealer based in Onitsha. Mbaeri was subsequently arrested at his residence on January 29, 2025, and two vehicles, a Toyota Corolla and a Toyota Sienna, were recovered from his home.
The NDLEA spokesman emphasized the importance of intelligence and professionalism in uncovering such sophisticated smuggling operations, stating, “But for the Intel & professionalism of NDLEA officers, how could anyone have imagined that one needs to remove a vehicle’s bumper to discover this specially constructed compartment?”
This successful operation underscores the NDLEA’s ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and dismantle cartels involved in the illegal drug trade.
