By IBIRONKE ARIYO

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted 157,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup at Port Harcourt Ports, Onne, Rivers.

The shipment has an estimated street value of over N1.1 billion, according to a statement released on Sunday in Abuja by NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi.

Babafemi said the drugs were discovered on Friday during a joint inspection of a watch-listed container with Customs and other security agencies.

He stated the opioids were concealed behind 257 cartons of ceramic sanitary wares to evade detection.

Three suspects were arrested, namely Friday Achibong Joseph, 47; Abraham Anthony, 21; and Utibe Okon, 24.

In Cross River, NDLEA officers also raided a warehouse on Thursday in Obereakai, Odukpani LGA, recovering 2,687kg of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis.

The same day in Bauchi, officers acting on intelligence arrested Iriemi Imonikhe, 49, and Sa’idu Ladan, 30, along the Bauchi–Jos road.

They were caught with 195 blocks of skunk weighing 287kg in a Toyota Camry bearing plate number AKL 201 GG.

Also, 14 jumbo sacks of skunk weighing 560kg were recovered from a wooden boat at Oniru Beach, Lagos.

At Maiduguri Airport, NDLEA arrested two businessmen, Ishaku Abdullahi, 30, and Buba Usman, 32, at the domestic arrivals hall.

They were found with quantities of ecstasy pills and skunk, disguised in colourful wraps labelled ‘Lychee’ and ‘Porro Legal’.

Meanwhile, NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign continued across the country during the past week.

WADA sensitisation lectures were held at Command Secondary School, Orba, Uden LGA, Enugu State, and Divine Gift International School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi.

Others included Baptist Primary School, Ago-Are, Oyo State, and St Vincent Secondary School, Oti-Oron Okobo, Akwa Ibom. (NAN)