The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Sunday arrested 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 2,248,000 tramadol pills worth N3.9 billion in street value.
The disclosure was contained in a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, on Sunday.
The drugs were intercepted at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, after being imported from Delhi, India, disguised as multi-vitamins in 114 cartons.
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“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.
“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 at the import shed of the Lagos airport on an Ethiopian Airlines flight on Monday, 8th September 2025,” the statement read in part.
NDLEA operatives had placed the shipment under surveillance before swooping on a clearing agent and two drivers who were attempting to move the consignment from the airport in two trucks. The Indian businessman was later arrested while attempting to collect the shipment.
More insights
In separate operations, NDLEA seized other narcotics across Nigeria. At Lagos’ Terminal 2, a passenger, Onyeganochi Stanley Ifeanyi, was caught with 900 grams of skunk cannabis hidden in crayfish, leading to the arrest of the Qatar-based handler, Ohadiegwu Anthony Uchenna.
At Tincan Port, 81.7 kg of Canadian Loud cannabis and 1.2 kg of hashish oil were recovered from imported vehicles and parts, resulting in the arrest of two suspects. Another 65 kg shipment of Loud was intercepted on the Third Mainland Bridge.
- The agency also uncovered a Skuchies factory in Ikorodu, recovering 6,029 bottles of the cannabis-infused drink and 4.2 kg of cannabis, leading to the arrest of the factory manager. Additional seizures of methamphetamine, tramadol, heroin, and other psychoactive substances occurred in Anambra, Kano, Abuja, Yobe, Edo, Ogun, and Oyo States, with several arrests.
The statement noted that the multi-state crackdown demonstrates NDLEA’s intensified efforts to intercept narcotics at borders, ports, and within domestic networks, targeting both importation and local production of illicit substances.
What you should know
In recent months, NDLEA has intensified its operations against drug trafficking and abuse across Nigeria. The agency recently destroyed a 71.5-hectare cannabis farm in Taraba State, yielding 178,750 kilograms of skunk, and arrested a 30-year-old suspect, Alfa Andrew, in connection with the seizure.
Between January and August 2025, the Oyo State Command arrested 280 suspects and secured 43 convictions for drug-related offenses.
The agency also dismantled an international organized criminal group operating between Nigeria, the UK, Brazil, Australia, and the UAE, arresting three of its leaders in Lagos after intercepting a cocaine consignment worth N5.3 billion concealed in textile materials and local charms.
These operations demonstrate NDLEA’s sustained efforts in recent months to target importation, domestic production, and organized drug networks both within Nigeria and across international borders.
