JUST IN: NDLEA Smashes Two Drug Cartels, Recovers Multibillion Naira Cocaine, Fentanyl Consignments

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) busted a married couple cocaine trafficking cartel.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the anti-narcotics agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the multi-billion-naira worth of illicit drugs were recovered in two major operations following the arrest of the cartel’s kingpin and queen, Bolanle and Olayinka Dauda.

He revealed that intelligence-led operations destroyed the cartel, whose operations spanned Lagos and Ogun states.

He revealed that the duo were apprehended last Saturday by NDLEA operatives with the support of the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States at Ibiye, along the Lagos-Badagry motorway, while attempting to cross the land border to deliver the consignment in Ghana.

He stated that at the time of their arrest, 42 blocks of the Class A drug weighing 47.5 kilogrammes were discovered on them and that a quick follow-up operation at their residence at Plot 24/25 OPIC extension, Petedo road, Agbara, Ogun state, resulted in the recovery of an additional eight blocks of the same drug weighing 10 kilogrammes, bringing the total weight of cocaine seized from the couple to 57.5 kilogrammes.

According to Babafemi, in another raid by the special operation unit, 1,100 ampoules of the lethal synthetic opioid fentanyl weighing 6.48 kilogrammes were recovered from 34-year-old Ikeh Ifeanyi, a member of a drug trafficking syndicate, at the popular Idumota market on Lagos Island.

He claimed that 790 ampoules of the dangerous opioid weighing 5.273 kilogrammes were seized from another member of the fentanyl syndicate, 48-year-old Chieze Benjamin, who was also apprehended at Idumota Market. He stated that fentanyl, a lethal synthetic opioid that is 100 times more potent than heroin, is currently responsible for more than 70% of overdose deaths and is a major contributor to both fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the United States.

Babafemi revealed that two other people, Olayiwola Kazeem, 37, and Ogunfowora Ajibola, 35, were arrested on Lagos Island in a separate raid by NDLEA officers, and 432 grammes of methamphetamine were recovered from them.

He stated that at the Tincan port in Lagos, NDLEA agents intercepted 15 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 7.5 kilogrammes, concealed in the doors and body crevices of a Toyota Highlander SUV in a container marked MSMU 7294325, which was declared to contain three units of used vehicles, including the Toyota Highlander, originated in Toronto and shipped to Nigeria via Montreal, Canada.

H stated that a quick follow-up operation resulted in the arrest of two suspects: Sunday Sodade and Oriyomi Adesina, who were supposed to receive the vehicle and the drug consignment, and that a bribe of six million naira offered to NDLEA officers by the sender of the container based in Canada through his agent has also been registered as evidence for the prosecution of the case.

In response to the arrest of drug kingpins and the seizure of dangerous illicit drugs, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer Brig Gen Buba Marwa (Retd) praised the officers and men of the special operation unit for their tenacity in targeting and bringing down drug cartels and barons. He also praised the NDLEA’s results-oriented collaboration with its local and international partners, urging all agency commands and formations to remain relentless in their offensive action against the drug underworld.