Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested three members of an organised criminal organisation for smuggling 51.90 kilograms of heroin, over two months after they were declared wanted.
Its Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement issued Sunday said the arrested kingpins specialised in illicit drug trafficking across Nigeria, South Africa, Mozambique, Europe and America.
He revealed that they were arrested following the recent seizure of the single largest consignment of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Babefemi said: “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.
Babafemi noted that while the agency 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.
According to him, The effort however paid off on Friday 19th April when two of the wanted kingpins: Onyinyechi 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.
In the same vein, Babafemi noted that the attempt by a suspect, Iheakara Festus to export a drug consignment through the terminal 2 of the Lagos airport to Muscat, Oman via Ethiopian airline flight on Thursday 18th April was thwarted by NDLEA officers.
He explained that when his luggage was searched, 20 big parcels of cannabis weighing 9.80kg were discovered concealed in his bag.
“In his statement, the suspect who lives in Muscat, Oman and returned to Nigeria on 1st April, confessed he was hired to courier the drug with an agreement to get paid N1,200,000 upon successful delivery in Oman.”
Also, in Adamawa state, NDLEA operatives 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.
Babafemi added that the operatives had earlier intercepted along Ngurore -Yola road a J5 bus marked AAA790XV loaded with motor spare parts from Onitsha, Anambra State, with consignments of Codeine Syrup and Tramadol concealed in-between the motor parts.
He said a follow up operation led to the arrest of the recipient, Jairus Nwanchor at Jambutu motor park