The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted suspected powdery Tramadol weighing 3.5 kilogrammes.
Usman Ramadan, 51, was arrested with the substance by officers of the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Special Area Command of NDLEA.
The agency’s spokesman, Jonah Achema, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
Mr Achema said the suspect claimed to be an ex-soldier from Borno and was arrested at the outbound screening point on his way to board an Ethiopian Airline to Dubai.
He said the suspect had stuffed his luggage with black and white polythene bags containing a powdery substance which upon inspection turned out to be grounded Tramadol tablets.
“Initially, the suspect claimed that he was carrying ‘elubo’ local yam flour but later confessed that he had to grind the Tramadol tablets in order to beat security operatives.
“He claimed to have sustained injuries during the civil war and that he needed Tramadol at all times to relieve him of the pains,” he said.
NDLEA MAKIA Commander, Mohammed Ajiya, said the case of powdery Tramadol was strange to the Command.
“We have made seizures of Tramadol severally but that it now comes in powdery form calls for extra vigilance. It means drug merchants are never short of ideas. No matter what, we will continue to beat them to their antics,” he said.
