NDLEA Busts International Drug Syndicate, Seizes Loud Consignments, Arrests 5 Suspects

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has cracked down on an international drug syndicate with networks in Nigeria, South Africa, and Thailand.

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According to a statement issued on Sunday by the anti-narcotics agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, no fewer than five cartel members were arrested in two weeks of intelligence-led operations in Lagos, Abia, and Anambra states following the seizure of their illicit drug consignments at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport’s NAHCO import shed in Lagos.
He stated that the unravelling of the drug cartel began on Sunday, April 20th, when their cargo of four large suitcases arrived at the NAHCO shed on an Air Peace airline flight from Johannesburg, South Africa.
He added that after days of close monitoring and investigation, the first suspect, Umeh Chisom, was arrested on Wednesday, April 24th, after showing up to pick up two of the suitcases.
Obum Michael, a syndicate member based in Thailand, owns Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
Babafemi revealed that four parcels were hidden in the false bottoms of two suitcases, with the four suitcases containing a total of 17.6 kilogrammes of Loud and drug candies.
He also stated that another member of the syndicate, Mrs. Chiwendu Ugbe, whose South African-based husband, Aloytus Ugbe, sent some of the consignments, was tracked down to Anambra state, where NDLEA officers arrested her on Saturday, April 27th, while attempting to collect drug parcels sent by her husband.
He said two other suspects with links to the cartel, Onyejakor Chimezie and Naaji Chukwukere, were also arrested in parts of Lagos last Monday, with their arrest leading to another operation in Abia state, where Mrs. Chinazo Osigwe was arrested when she was to pick up some of the parcels containing Loud and drug candies sent by her husband, Chidiebere Osigwe.
who is also operating from South Africa.
In other clampdowns, NDLEA operatives conducting a stop and search operation along the Abuja-Abaji highway on Wednesday, May 1st, intercepted a 40-foot gas tanker marked RBC 77XG and discovered 511 jumbo sacks of cannabis sativa weighing 4,752 kilogrammes concealed in the truck’s gas tank compartment.
According to Babafemi, the consignment was loaded into the tanker in Ondo State and was scheduled to be delivered to Abuja for further distribution. He stated that four suspects, Efe Abel, 39; Ebigide Cyril, 29; Ejechi Monday, 41; and Friday Chukwudi, 39, had been arrested in connection with the seizure.

According to the spokesman, two suspects, Aminu Umar, 25, and Anas Umar, 22, were arrested with 207.1 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa in their house at Unguwan Rimi, Basawa, Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna state last Monday, and Bashir Umar, 35, was apprehended at Ladanai, Hotoro area of Kano last Friday with 194 bottles of codeine syrup.
Last Wednesday, NDLEA operatives arrested 51-year-old Suleiman Usman, an ex-convict who is currently on trial for another drug offence at the Federal High Court in Osogbo. Suleiman was arrested in Okinni town with 4.4 grams of cocaine, 28.5 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa, 20 tabs of ophenolol weighing 6.2 grammes, and 812 tramadol pills.
The following day, last Thursday, NDLEA agents at the Agbara checkpoint, Seme border, Badagry, Lagos State, intercepted a Toyota Camry marked KJA 825 FT transporting 113 jumbo parcels of cannabis weighing 64 kilogrammes. The driver, Charles Amoni, 45, was quickly arrested.
In Bauchi state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Bauchi-Jos road last Monday arrested Clement Chukwuka, 39, with 595 bottles of codeine and 38,260 pills of opioids such as tramadol, rohypnol, and diazepam, while another suspect, Friday Ibochi, was apprehended at the NDLEA checkpoint, Aloma junction, Otukpa, Benue state last Tuesday with 66 blocks of cannabis weighing 33 kilogrammes. Also, 42-year-old Ifeanyi Stanley was apprehended with 12kg of the same substance at Swali Jetty in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state.
Babafemi stated that the agency’s various commands across the country have continued the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign with the same zeal in the last week.
Meanwhile, while congratulating the officers and men of the agency’s MMIA, FCT, Kano, Kaduna, Osun, Seme, Bayelsa, Bauchi, and Benue commands on their outstanding achievements over the past week, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) praised their counterparts in all commands across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures.