NDLEA uncovers N22bn worth of imported Tramadol

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said that the ongoing investigation of a billionaire drug baron, Chief Afam Mallinson Ukatu, led to the discovery of how he imported two containers filled with 1,284 cartons of Tramadol worth N22bn into Nigeria.

Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said in Abuja on Tuesday that the revelation was to counter insinuations by some hirelings that the NDLEA had no evidence to pin a crime on Ukatu, who is the Chairman/CEO of Mallinson Group of companies.

According to him, after months of surveillance, Ukatu was eventually arrested aboard a flight to Abuja at the MM2 terminal of the Lagos airport, Ikeja on Wednesday, April 13.

Babafemi said, “Investigations reveal he has been a major importer of large consignments of different brands and high dosages of Tramadol Hydrochloride, ranging from 120mg, 200mg, 225mg and 250mg, all of which are illicit.

“Ukatu owns pharmaceutical and plastic manufacturing companies, which he used as a cover to import illicit drugs into Nigeria.”

He stated that operatives of the agency, in the course of investigating the N3bn Tramadol saga between Ukatu and the Abba Kyari’s IRT team, unearthed more evidence establishing how Ukatu had been importing large quantities of Tramadol far above the approved threshold allowed into the country.

He said, “In one instance, Ukatu, through his Mallinson Group of companies, imported into the country two-container loads of five different brands of Tramadol in October 2019 through the Apapa ports in Lagos.

“All the evidence so far gathered show that the imported Tramadol brands were far above the threshold permitted to be imported into Nigeria. No doubt the suspect will soon have his day in court.”