ASHENEWS reports that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested three members of an organised criminal organisation which specialises in illicit drug trafficking across Nigeria, South Africa, Mozambique, Europe and America, two months after they were declared wanted.
This is contained in a statement issued by the NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi on Sunday.
The NDLEA said that the suspects are being investigated for their involvement in the recent seizure of the single largest consignment of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos.
“A total of 51.90 kilograms of heroin had been recovered from members of the drug cartel in an operation that began 10th February 2024 at the SAHCO Import Shed of the airport’s Cargo Terminal.
“The consignment was concealed in 15 cartons of 2300-watt metal cutting machines, with no less than 45 blocks of the illicit substance weighing 49.70kg recovered from the equipment, while additional 2.2kg was seized at the syndicate’s warehouse in Ayobo area of Lagos,” the NDLEA said.
The NDLEA added that it has secured interim forfeiture court order on hotel, mansions, vehicles and funds traced to members of the syndicate after arresting four of them, a manhunt was also launched for others who went underground.
“The effort however paid off on Friday 19th April when two of the wanted kingpins: Onyinyechi Irene Igbokwuputa and Frankline Uzochukwu were arrested in Lagos and Awka, Anambra state respectively. Another wanted member of the syndicate, Osita Emmanuel Obinna was equally nabbed in Lagos.”
The statement further disclosed that its operatives in Adamawa on Saturday 20th April intercepted a Peugeot car driven by Dahiru Mohammed at Girei on his way to Mubi with 1,250,000 pills of opioids weighing 450kg.
This is in addition to the seizures of illicit drugs in various operations in ondo, Bayelsa and Lagos states.
“Three suspects: Beriakuma Vivian Chinrdu, 40; Okpor Isaac, 68, and Daniel Onyeachom, 42, were on Saturday 20th April arrested at Amarata,Yenagoa, Bayelsa state in connection with the seizure of 69 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 36kg and concealed in a false compartment of a Toyota Picnic car marked MUS 711 DH they were travelling in.
“This is even as NDLEA operatives in Imo state on Thursday 18th April arrested Kingsley Omeje, 41, at Amajeke, Owerri while he was taking delivery of 49 bottles of codeine syrup he ordered.
“In Ondo state, NDLEA operatives raided the Oloro camp, Ogbese, Akure North LGA where they arrested Linus Odogwu, 50, and destroyed a total of 25,000 kilograms of cannabis on 10 hectares of farmland while they recovered 89.5kg of same substance. Three other suspects: David Obungete Ekepenyoung, 22; Oluwaseun Folorunso,23; and Rabiu Musa, 32, were nabbed in other parts of the state in connection to different seizures totaling 77kg.”
