Nigeria’s anti-drug agency has seized 10,000 Captagon pills in Kwara State during a wider crackdown across the country.
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said officers on patrol along Bode Saadu Road in Kwara State intercepted a passenger vehicle on April 21 and found the pills on a 33-year-old suspect, Nasiru Mu’azu. Officials also recovered nine packets of Tapentadol, a strong opioid.
Captagon is a banned amphetamine linked to addiction, organised crime and militant networks in parts of the Middle East. Authorities say its seizure raises serious security concerns.
In a separate operation at the same checkpoint, NDLEA officers discovered hidden drugs inside a trailer. The haul included 155,900 tramadol capsules, 6,000 tramadol injections, 3,000 co-codamol tablets and 9,000 bromazepam tablets. A second suspect was arrested.
Other operations led to more seizures across Nigeria. In Oyo State, officers arrested a man who excreted 45 cocaine pellets weighing over one kilogram. In Edo State, suspects were caught with over 1.1 million opioid pills, while Lagos officers seized 810kg of cannabis.
NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa said the Captagon seizure disrupted attempts to reopen a dangerous drug pipeline into Nigeria.
The agency says it will continue nationwide operations against drug trafficking and abuse.