BY SOLOMON OKPO
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have uncovered a cache of military-grade ammunition concealed inside bags of cassava flakes, popularly known as garri, during an anti-drug operation.
The agency also intercepted thousands of tramadol 225mg tablets hidden inside a keg of palm oil in a separate operation, raising fresh concerns over the evolving methods used by criminal networks to transport illicit substances and dangerous items across the country.
The discoveries were disclosed in a statement posted on X on Sunday by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, NDLEA officers often come across other security threats while carrying out searches for illegal drugs and narcotics.
Babafemi noted that the latest discoveries highlighted the increasing sophistication of concealment techniques employed by traffickers.
“In the course of our work searching for illicit drug concealment, we also stumble on other items that constitute threats to national security as it happened in the attached videos,” the statement read.
He explained that in one of the operations, officers discovered “a large cache of military grade ammunition in cassava flakes (garri),” while another operation led to the recovery of “thousands of tramadol 225mg pills concealed in a keg of red oil.”
The agency did not immediately disclose the exact locations where the interceptions were made or whether any arrests had been effected in connection with the seizures.
Security analysts say the discoveries underscore the growing convergence between drug trafficking and other forms of organised crime, including illegal arms movement, posing significant threats to national security.
