NDLEA and India’s NCB strengthen partnership to curb opioid trafficking threatening Nigeria’s public health.
Both agencies vow deeper cooperation as seizures of tramadol and codeine syrups hit alarming levels.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of Nigeria and India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) have pledged to deepen collaboration in tackling the growing menace of illicit drug trafficking between the two countries, particularly the influx of opioids such as tramadol and codeine-based syrups into Nigeria.
The renewed commitment was the highlight of a virtual meeting held on Wednesday between NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, and NCB Director-General, Mr. Anurag Garg. The session brought together senior officials from both agencies and focused on intensifying cross-border cooperation in combating transnational drug syndicates.
Marwa described the smuggling of pharmaceutical opioids from India as a major threat to Nigeria’s public health and national security, citing alarming seizure figures recorded over the past 18 months.
“From January 2024 to June 2025, the NDLEA has seized over one billion tramadol pills and more than 14.4 million bottles of codeine syrup, largely smuggled from India,” he stated. “This is why this engagement is crucial.”
He called on the NCB to bolster its support for Nigeria’s anti-narcotics efforts through intelligence sharing and specialized training for NDLEA officers. “We appreciate past support in areas such as drug investigations, cybercrime, and dark web operations. We would value further assistance in building our capacity especially in financial investigations, precursor chemicals, and clandestine labs,” Marwa added.
Responding, Mr. Garg acknowledged the severity of the issue and reiterated NCB’s readiness to collaborate closely with the NDLEA to dismantle international drug trafficking networks.
“These syndicates are transnational in nature and operate without regard for national borders or laws,” he said. “This means our best response is through mutual cooperation. This meeting presents an opportunity to take that partnership forward.”
On capacity building, Garg confirmed that India has training facilities available for Nigerian officers and proposed tailored programs to suit the NDLEA’s operational needs. “We are happy to share our expertise in areas like darknet monitoring, precursor tracking, and investigating clandestine labs,” he said.
The meeting follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two agencies in 2023, which laid the foundation for structured collaboration in drug control operations.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the session was attended by top-ranking officials from both the NDLEA and NCB, marking a significant step toward curbing the opioid crisis impacting Nigeria.
