Indian businessman, 3 others arrested over N3.9bn tramadol intercepted at Lagos airport.
By Daniella Naanbaam Dawulung.
An Indian businessman Gupta Ravi Kumar and three Nigerian accomplices: Ogunlana Noah Olanrewaju, Olushola Idrees Kayode and Bakare Korede Muheeb have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in connection with the seizure of Two Million Two Hundred and Forty-Eight Thousand (2,248,000) pills of tramadol 200mg/225mg intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.
This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy
NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja.
It said the tramadol shipment worth Three Billion Nine Hundred and Ninety Million Naira (N3,990,000,000) in street value was imported from Delhi, India, disguised as multi-vitamins in 114 cartons and arrived the import shed of the Lagos airport on an Ethiopian Airline flight on Monday 8th September 2025.
“A team of NDLEA officers who had put the consignment under surveillance however swooped on a clearing agent and two drivers who were trying to move the shipment out of the airport in two trucks on Thursday 11th September. A follow up operation the following day, Friday, led to the arrest of the Indian businessman Gupta Ravi Kumar, when he was trying to take delivery of the consignment.
“At the terminal 2 departure gate of the airport, NDLEA operatives on Sunday 7th September intercepted a passenger Onyeganochi Stanley Ifeanyi travelling on a Qatar Airline flight to Doha. A search of his bag led to the recovery of 900grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis concealed in crayfish. As a first-time traveler, Onyeganochi claimed the bag was given to him to help take to Doha by a Qatar-based Nigerian Ohadiegwu Anthony Uchenna who actually followed 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.”
