NDLEA Dismantles International Drug Cartel, Intercepts N5.3bn Cocaine Bound for Australia
Agency Seizes N1.1bn Codeine in Rivers, Recovers 653kg Cannabis in Lagos, Abuja Raids
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a transnational drug syndicate operating between Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates, arresting three of its kingpins in Lagos and intercepting a cocaine consignment worth N5.3 billion.
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said the breakthrough followed two weeks of intelligence-led operations, during which officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, intercepted 76 cartons of textile materials bound for Sydney, Australia, on August 26. A thorough search revealed 17.9 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the fabrics and laced with charms allegedly meant to shield the drugs from detection.
The seizure led to the arrest of freight agent Olashupo Michael Oladimeji. Further investigations unmasked Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi, described as the cartel’s coordinator in Nigeria, and Shola Adegoke, another leader of the group.
Ogunbiyi was arrested in Ikeja GRA on September 3, where a search of his Lekki residence uncovered 21 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 10.9kg and a pump-action rifle. Adegoke was picked up the same day at the cartel’s packaging base in Ikeja, where operatives recovered 17 more parcels of Loud weighing 9.6kg from a black Range Rover SUV.
NDLEA also linked the syndicate to Adebisi Ademola Omoyele (alias Mr. Bee), said to be coordinating overseas operations from Dubai. Both Ogunbiyi and Adegoke are ex-convicts deported from the UK after serving jail terms for murder and drug trafficking respectively.
In a related arrest, Milan-based Nigerian Gabriel Michael was intercepted at Lagos Airport on September 5 while attempting to smuggle 24,480 tramadol pills to Italy.
The agency also uncovered 160,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup in a container at Onne Port, Rivers State, on September 4. The shipment, concealed in cartons of ceramic sanitary wares, has an estimated street value of N1.1 billion.
Nationwide operations yielded further seizures:
Abuja: Dispatch rider Joel Bernard, 32, was caught with 3.1kg of Colorado in Gwarimpa.
Lagos: Two suspects, Tunde Ayinla and Olawale Omotare, were arrested with 625kg of Loud and Colorado loaded in four vehicles at Surulere.
Lagos: A couple, Andy David and Andy Esther, were caught with 24.4kg of skunk in Ajegunle.
Kogi: Musa Isah was nabbed with 53.4kg of skunk in a Toyota Avensus, while Afolayan Ayodele was caught conveying 342kg along the Minna-Bida road.
Kaduna/Edo: Yunusa Zakari, 23, was arrested in Auchi over an earlier seizure of 233kg of skunk in Kakau.
Anambra: Ayouk Nelson, 28, was arrested in Onitsha with 11,000 tramadol pills.
Taraba: Two cannabis farms covering 7.5 hectares were destroyed, with 18,750kg of skunk eradicated and two farmers arrested.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers for their efforts and urged them to sustain the momentum in the agency’s “War Against Drug Abuse” campaign.
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