NDLEA Busts Lagos Airport Drug Cartel (Photos)

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has busted a drug syndicate operating at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.

A statement on Wednesday by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media, gave an update on recent operations.

The gang was behind the smuggling of 1,584,000 tablets of Tramadol seized on March 15 by NDLEA operatives, Aviation Security (AVSEC) and Customs personnel.

The seizures include 17 cartons of 250mg Tramadol branded as “Tamra” weighing 669.70kg and five cartons of 225mg Tramadol under the brand name “Royal” weighing 217.15kg.

The substance imported from Pakistan was smuggled through the airport tarmac, via a Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) vehicle, and intercepted at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Personnel Yard.

Ofijeh John Mowa, a SAHCO driver, and Nyam Gazu Alex, a security guard with the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), were initially arrested.

Five others were later nabbed including the ring leader, Yunana Fidelis. The rest are Adesanwo Temitope, Owoseni Taiwo Temidayo, Fasoranti Shola and Bamigbade Jonathan.

Fidelis, NACHO staff, had fled Lagos to Kaduna after depositing N19,800,000 cash with a BDC operator to be paid later into his bank account.

On March 25, he left Kaduna and relocated to Abuja where he was eventually arrested by NDLEA operatives at about 7 pm on March 7.

The suspect was caught while trying to collect N1,000,000 cash from an undercover agent who posed as a BDC operator.

Meanwhile, a professional methamphetamine (Mkpuru Mmiri) cook, Reuben Bekweri, 34, has been arrested in Owerri while trying to distribute a kilogram of the illicit drug he cooked and packaged in seven nylon sachets in the Irete Area of Imo state capital on Saturday 26th March.

In Ado Ekiti, narcotic officers on Monday 28th March also arrested a 42-year-old lawyer, Mr. Mayowa Oluwanisomo, in Zone 4, Embassy Island, Moferere area of the Ekiti state capital following credible intelligence that he deals in psychotropic substances. A total of 11, 570 tablets of Tramadol weighing 7.3kilograms were recovered from him when his residence was searched. He admitted ownership of the drug exhibits, adding that he graduated from Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti and Abuja campus of the Nigerian Law School in 2016.

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of MMIA, Imo and Ekiti state Commands for sustaining the offensive action against drug cartels in their respective areas of responsibility.