The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of Nigeria and India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have agreed to deepen their cooperation in curbing the illegal movement of opioids particularly tramadol and codeine-based syrup from India into Nigeria.
This resolution was reached during a virtual meeting held on Wednesday between NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), and NCB Director-General, Mr. Anurag Garg.
According to a statement by NDLEA’s spokesperson, Marwa expressed concern over the public health and security risks posed by the trafficking of these substances, urging for a stronger implementation of the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two agencies.
Marwa disclosed that between January 2024 and June 2025, the NDLEA had confiscated over one billion tramadol pills and more than 14.4 million bottles of codeine syrup, underscoring the severity of the problem. He called on India to collaborate closely with Nigeria in halting the illicit supply chain.
He also requested technical support and capacity-building assistance, highlighting the value of India’s past training programmes in areas such as drug investigations, cybercrime, financial forensics, and the dark web.
In response, NCB chief Anurag Garg acknowledged the cross-border nature of drug syndicates and pledged to share intelligence, experience, and training resources with the NDLEA.
“We’re facing transnational criminal networks that disregard borders and laws. Collaboration is the only viable solution, and this meeting marks an important step forward,” Garg stated.
On the training request, he affirmed NCB’s readiness to offer a customised programme, especially in clandestine lab detection, precursor tracking, and darknet investigations.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from both agencies and was facilitated by the News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN)
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