Drug Trafficking: NDLEA Intercepts Brazil Returnee, Arrests Pregnant Dealer, Others
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a Brazil returnee and 16 others, from whom tons of narcotics have been seized.
The anti-narcotics Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a media statement on Sunday.
TheFact Daily gathers that the Brazil returnee, identified as Nwadinobi Charles Uchemadu, was arrested on Monday, 5th December, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, during inward clearance of passengers on the Qatar Airways flight.
Three parcels of cocaine weighing 2.70 kilograms, factory sealed in parts were found in Uchemadu’s travel bag.
Babafemi also disclosed that at the SAHCO export shed of the airport on the same day, NDLEA operatives equally intercepted cans of powdered milk, baby food and beverages used to conceal 3.4 kilograms of cannabis, being exported to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, UAE. A freight agent, Ewelike Chibuike Cyril, who presented the consignment for export was subsequently arrested.
In the same vein, on Thursday, 8th December, parcels of cannabis weighing 6.30kgs concealed in sound systems (speakers) going to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, through the SAHCO export shed of the airport, were also seized by the operatives who initially arrested a freight agent involved, Joseph Obiji, while the following day, Friday 9th December, another agent, Mbanu Ifeanyi Andrew, was nabbed in a follow up operation at ASPAMDA market, Trade Fair complex, Ojo area of Lagos.
At the Akala notorious drug hub in Mushin area of Lagos, no fewer than 15 drug dealers including two ladies were arrested with 1,400kgs of cannabis sativa among other illicit substances such as heroin, methamphetamine, and 320 bottles of codeine syrup recovered from them during a raid of the area on Friday, 9th December.
Another raid of the popular Idumota business district of Lagos Island on Saturday 10th December led to the seizure of 35,014 pills of tramadol, diazepam, rohypnol and 21.2 litres of codeine syrup while a targeted notorious dealer is still on the run.
This is even as officers of the Directorate of Seaports Operations of the Agency arrested a Malian, Dembele Ousmane on Monday 5th December, with 32,400 capsules of tramadol 225mg concealed in factory packed buckets of custard while attempting to travel to Mali via boat at Ebute -Ero Jetty in Lagos.
In Ondo state, operatives stormed Sharp Corner, Ipele forest in Owo area of the State, on Tuesday, 6 December, where they arrested Rotimi Oyekan and Precious Aluju with cannabis sativa weighing 903.3kg, while another team of NDLEA officers arrested Babatunde Oluyara at Igbotako area of the State, with 168.5kg of the same substance, 6kg of monkey tail and various quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin.
In Kebbi State, two suspects, Austine Julius and Sale Yakubu were arrested on Sunday 4th December, along Yawuri-Kebbi road in a loaded Dyna Truck with 117 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,070 kilograms concealed under bags of oranges.
The following day, Monday, 5th December, two other suspects, identified as Abdullahi Bala and Ibrahim Wade, were intercepted along Koko- Kebbi road in a Dyna Truck loaded with 114 bags of the same substance weighing 1,140 kilograms concealed under crates of soft drinks.
Similarly, a raid operation in Abbi town, Ndokwa West LGA, Delta State, led to the arrest of a pregnant 30-year-old dealer, Aniekem Evelyn, with 1,161kgs of cannabis sativa recovered from her warehouse.
Summarily, officers and men of the MMIA, Seaports Operations, Ondo, Delta and Kebbi State Commands of the NDLEA during the past week, have intercepted and seized about 4,448kg of narcotics, and have been urged by its Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), to intensify their efforts.
