NDLEA Arrests India-Bound Businessman With 9.40kg Heroin At Lagos Airport

• The NDLEA has released the weekly account of its activities.

• The agency said it made several drug crime-related arrests last week.

• The arrests took place in Lagos, Taraba, Abuja, Adamawa, and Osun State.

Eko Hot Blog reports that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a businessman, Kingsley Celestino, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State with over 9.40kg of heroin concealed in false bottoms of his two travelling bags.

The NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, made the disclosure in a statement on Sunday.

EDITOR’S PICKS

• Issues President-elect Tinubu Must Prioritise

• Supreme Court Orders Old Naira Notes To Remain Valid Till December

• ‘It’s An Era Of Massive Growth For Lagos’ — Sanwo-Olu Reels Out Achievements

According to Babafemi, Kingsley, a business class passenger on Qatar Airlines flight was arrested at Terminal 2 of the MMIA on Saturday, March 4, on his way to India.

“Though a native of Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, the 49-year-old was travelling with a Guinean international passport,” the NDLEA spokesperson said.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect frequently travels to India on business class tickets. He claimed he deals in the clothing business between Nigeria and India. It was further established that he obtained the Guinean international passport in Guinea Bissau, where he said his mother came from.”

In the same vein, NDLEA operatives nabbed a 24-year-old passenger travelling to Oman, Etounu Monday, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Monday, February 27, during the outward clearance of Ethiopian Airline flight ET 950 while attempting to export 1.924kg of skunk concealed in cream tubes.

Babafemi said, also, at the Tincan seaport, Lagos, the agency’s operatives on Friday, March 3, recovered 244 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 79 kilograms concealed in medium size wooden sound system speakers packed inside two out of four used vehicles in a container marked CRSU9258348 coming from Toronto via Montreal, Canada.

“The imported vehicles used as cover for the drugs are a 2009 Jeep Wrangler and a 2009 Honda Ridgeline,” he said.

Similarly, the NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, attached to courier firms in Lagos intercepted a consignment of nine parcels of methamphetamine concealed in native black soap, Dudu Osun, heading to Europe.

In a separate operation last Friday, NDLEA operatives raided De-Niche Hotel & Suites, Omole Estate, Ojodu, Ikeja, Lagos, where 24 suspects were arrested and different quantities of illicit drugs recovered from them.

Babafemi also disclosed that no fewer than 778,190 pills of pharmaceutical opioids including tramadol and a drum of 270kg Methylene Chloride were recovered by operatives from a suspect, Eric Pepe Yohanna, 33, in Jalingo, Taraba State, on Monday, February 27, following credible intelligence.

Also seized from him was a Daylong tricycle used in distributing the illicit substances.

In Adamawa State, the house of a wanted notorious drug dealer, Mamudu Njobdi, at Sebore, Gyalla road Dougada ward, Mubi was raided in the early hours of Monday, February 27, where the suspect was arrested and drug exhibits were recovered.

“The 31-year-old suspect was earlier arrested on Wednesday, February 22, at his drug joint in Kolere water board but mobilised thugs to attack the NDLEA officers and in the process escaped with exhibits,” the NDLEA spokesperson said.

FURTHER READING

• My Administration Has Commissioned Over 4,600 Projects; We’ll Do 5,300 More – Sanwo-Olu

• I’ll Prove I Won 2023 Presidential Election – Peter Obi

• Post-mortem Report Reveals Cause Of Whitney Adeniran’s Death

“While a suspect, Geoffrey Okpani, 31, was arrested at Bukuru area of Jos, Plateau State, with 27.45kg of cannabis, Ajayi Tope, 30, was arrested on Saturday, March 4, at Area 5 Ile-Ife, in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State with 18kg of the same substance.”

Click to watch our video of the week: