The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have agreed to strengthen their partnership to fight the illicit shipment of drugs between the two countries.
The focus will be on the illegal flow of opioids like tramadol and codeine-based syrup from India to Nigeria.
The agreement was reached during a virtual meeting on Wednesday between the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) and his Indian counterpart, NCB Director General, Mr. Anurag Garg.
During the meeting, Marwa highlighted the immense threat posed by illicit drugs, noting that in the last 18 months, Nigeria has seized “over one billion pills of opioids mainly tramadol and more than 14.4 million bottles of codeine syrup” originating from India.
Marwa also requested the NCB’s assistance with capacity building and specialised training for NDLEA officers in key areas such as financial investigation, cyber training, and monitoring the dark web.
In response, Mr. Garg acknowledged that the drug problem is a transnational issue and assured the NDLEA of the NCB’s readiness to share intelligence, knowledge, and experience. He stated, “Unless we come together, we cannot end this malady because we’re dealing with transnational drug syndicates.”
He also offered to host a customised training program for NDLEA officers at the NCB’s training center.