Drug Deals: NDLEA Nabs Global Drug Cartel, Confiscates Tons of Cocaine, Opioids, Others

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has foiled drug syndicates’ attempts to export large quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and opioids through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja to the United Kingdom, Italy, Turkey, and Qatar.

According to a statement released on Sunday by the anti-narcotics agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, this was accomplished through a series of intelligence-led operations that resulted in the recovery of illicit drugs and the arrest of the criminal masterminds.

He stated that NDLEA officers intercepted 13 parcels of cocaine weighing 4.4 kilogrammes on a Lufthansa Airlines flight bound for the United Kingdom via Frankfurt on November 5, 2024, while a businessman linked to the consignment, Ekeocha Anayo, was tracked down and arrested on November 8.

He also stated that another businessman, Adegbite Solomon (aka Obama), attempted to export 7,800 pills of tramadol, 180 tablets of Rohypnol, and 60 bottles of codeine to Italy, but was apprehended at the Lagos airport’s departure hall last Monday by NDLEA agents who discovered the opioids concealed in food and other items while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Italy. The suspect claimed to have travelled to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea and worked as a street beggar before getting into the logistics business.

Babafemi said that he also arrested another businessman, Anoke Kingsley, with 1,100 pills of tramadol 225mg hidden in his luggage while attempting to board his Ethiopian Airlines flight going to Istanbul, Turkey, at terminal 1 of the Lagos airport last Friday.

The spokesman said following credible intelligence, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, and their counterparts from the FCT Command of the agency last Friday raided a hotel room at the Federal Housing Authority estate, Lugbe, Abuja, where they arrested two suspects: Omeh Uchenna, 36, and Anene Chigozie, 34. He said recovered from them was 1.8 kilogrammes methamphetamine, which they were preparing to travel with to Qatar.

He said another suspect, Akande Olasunkanmi, was arrested with 1.8 kilogrammes of methamphetamine by operatives of a Special Operations Unit of the NDLEA at his 9 Durojaiye Street, Lawanson area of Surulere, Lagos home after weeks of intelligence and surveillance, adding that in another intelligence-led operation, officers of an NDLEA task force on Saturday foiled the attempt by a trans-border trafficker, Emmanuel Okeke to smuggle 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg from Ghana into Lagos. The pills were concealed in the body compartments of a Toyota Hummer Bus belonging to GUO Transport Company, driven by the suspect. The vehicle was intercepted at the Ijanikin area of the Lagos-Badagry expressway while coming from Ghana.

In Edo state, not less than 997 kilogrammes of cannabis was recovered during raids in parts of the state. While 680kg cannabis and a Sienna bus marked FST-320 AE were seized at a bush path to Oghada forest in Oghada, Orhionmwan local government area, 180.5 kilogrammes of same substance was recovered from a suspect, Cecilia Ibe, 31, at Ofosu forest, Ovia South West local government area and 136.5 kilogrammes evacuated from a building in Otuo community, Owan East local government area last Thursday.

He said a suspect, Ifejimagha Chinonso, was last Wednesday nabbed with 88.3 kilogrammes of cannabis by NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway while personnel of Kano Command of the agency last Friday arrested Ahmed Goni, 30, at Gadar Tamburawa, Kano- Zaria road where they recovered from him 65,730 capsules of tramadol.

In Kwara state, NDLEA operatives arrested a suspect, Adio Sulaiman, with 120.8 kilogrammes of cannabis and some litres of codeine at Gaa Odota in the Ilorin West local government area, while Kelechi Obichere, 42, was nabbed with 75 kilogrammes of cannabis at Eziobodo, Owerri West local government area, Imo state last Thursday. A total of 563.74 kilograms of the same psychoactive substance were recovered from a 60-year-old suspect, Anthony Anakabi, following his arrest at Iyalode, Iyana church area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.

Babafemi said with the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the officers and men of MMIA, DOGI, DI, Oyo, Lagos, Imo, Kwara, Kano, and Edo commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures, stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.