An international drug syndicate with connections in Nigeria, South Africa, and Thailand has been dismantled by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The agency revealed that they apprehended five members of the syndicate during intelligence-led operations spanning two weeks across Lagos, Abia, and Anambra states. The arrests were made following the interception of illicit drug shipments at the NAHCO import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos.
The crackdown on the drug cartel commenced on Sunday, April 20, when four large suitcases arrived at the NAHCO shed via an Air Peace flight from Johannesburg, South Africa. The first arrest was made on Wednesday, April 24, when Umeh Chisom Peter showed up to collect two of the suitcases containing Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis owned by syndicate member Obum Michael based in Thailand.
The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed these details in a statement on Sunday. He mentioned that the consignment of four parcels was concealed in false bottoms of the two suitcases, which altogether contained 17.6 kilograms of Loud and drug candies.
Another member of the syndicate, Mrs. Chiwendu Uche Ugbe, was apprehended in Anambra state. She was traced to her location while trying to retrieve drug parcels sent by her husband from South Africa.
Additional arrests were made in Lagos, leading to an operation in Abia state where another individual related to the cartel was taken into custody. The chain of arrests further extended to various locations, resulting in the capture of multiple suspects across different states.
NDLEA operatives also intercepted a gas tanker on the Abuja-Abaji highway, uncovering jumbo sacks of cannabis sativa hidden in the tank compartment. The subsequent search led to the arrest of four individuals connected to the illegal drug transportation.
Various other arrests were made in different states across Nigeria, with suspects caught in possession of narcotics like cannabis, codeine syrup, and opioids. The Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the efforts of the agency’s personnel for their successful operations.
Marwa also praised the extensive WADA advocacy lectures being carried out by NDLEA units nationwide to combat drug trafficking.
