Fresh consignments of cocaine and heroin with a combined weight of 16.85 kilograms worth over N4.9 billion in street value have been seized at the Apapa seaport and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, both in Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
This was announced in a statement issued by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, on Sunday.
According to the anti-narcotic agency, four persons are currently being investigated for the 13.65kg Cocaine seized onboard a ship, MV Karteria that came into the Apapa port from Santos, Brazil, on 7 November, barely three weeks after 32.9kg of Cocaine was intercepted at the port on another vessel, MV Chayanee Naree, also from Santos, Brazil.
In well-coordinated follow-up operations, no fewer than five persons have been arrested in different parts of Lagos and Delta state in connection to the seizure of 3.200kg heroin found on a passenger, Christian Osondu at the E- Arrival hall of the MMIA, on 5 November during the inward clearance of Air Peace flight passengers from South Africa, the NDLEA said.
A swift follow-up operation the same day, according to the agency, led to the arrest of one Ude Onyeka Victor, at the Mafoluku area of Oshodi, Lagos.
The NDLEA said Ude Onyeka confessed that his elder brother, Ikenna Ude, who is based in South Africa, had instructed him to collect the bag containing the drug and hand it over to another person, who was supposed to come from Delta State. A second follow-up operation led to the arrest of Abanjo Innocent, who came to Lagos from Delta State to pick the bag containing the drug around Cele Bus stop, Okota, on 6 November.
He also confessed that he was contracted by one Oseki Chinedu, who is based in South Africa to travel to Lagos to collect the bag and bring it to Agbor junction, Delta State. The third follow up operation led to the arrest of Ihator Theophilus Isioma at Agbor Junction, Delta State on 7 November.
In Bayelsa state, NDLEA operatives, on 13 November, arrested one Obeluo Emeka from Anambra West Local Government Area of Anambra State with 600 grams of Heroin. The suspect who is a motor spare parts dealer based in Douala, Cameroon had arrived at Yenagoa by waterway to waybill the substance to an undisclosed address in Lagos.
No less than four suspects were arrested and different quantities of cocaine, cannabis, tramadol and methamphetamine were seized from them during weekend raids at Rumuokoro, Elelenwo and Omagwa/Elele communities in Rivers state. Those arrested include Elizabeth Iniama; Sir King Emmanuel; Godgift King; and
Amadi Bright.
A total of 18.51kg of assorted illicit drugs were recovered on Saturday 13th November when operatives raided a neighbourhood of Bayan Gari, and Sir Ahmadu Bello Way, Bauchi town, Bauchi state where two suspects; Mr. Gabriel Iwagbunan and Ms. Cecilia Ezena were arrested.
While 23-year-old Hadiza Ibrahim was arrested on Saturday 12th November along Okene-Lokoja highway with 54kg of cannabis, one Sunday Nnam, a.k.a Idowu, was nabbed the same day in Emene area of Enugu with 45kg of the same substance. In the same vein, one Umar Muhammad was arrested with 25,700 capsules of Tramadol weighing 15.1kg in the Tudun Hatsi area of Gombe State.
In Ogun state, following credible intelligence, two suspects; David Oduku, and Ifeanyi Raphael, were intercepted along the Ore- Shagamu expressway with 364.98kg of cannabis being conveyed in a blue Toyota Sienna bus, while two suspects: Buhari Jamiu and Ajibola Jimoh, were arrested in the early hours of Sunday, 14 November, with 189kg of cannabis at Olorunlagba, in the Bode Saadu area of Kwara State.
While commending the officers and men of Apapa port command and MMIA, as well as their counterparts in Bayelsa, Rivers, Bauchi, Kogi, Enugu, Gombe, Ogun, and Kwara states for sustaining the action against drug cartels in the country, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), charged them and their colleagues in other commands to remain vigilant at all times.
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