.Recovers hard drugs worth N4.8bn in Lagos warehouse
A “Stop-and-Search’’ operation by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on the Lokoja-Abaji Highway has led to the discovery of counterfeit $20m.
The spokesman for NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, stated on Sunday in Abuja that the fake currencies were recovered from a bus travelling from Lagos to Abuja.
He stated that the 53-year-old driver of the vehicle, Onyebuchi Nlebedim, was arrested.
Babafemi stated also that one Jude Ndubuisi (52) was arrested in a raid on August 17 while in possession of 2.2kg of methamphetamine at Kabusa village, Federal Capital Territory.
He added that the suspect was earlier arrested on July 7, 2022, for being in possession of 20.75kg of Indian hemp and that he was on court bail when he was nabbed for yet another drug crime.
“Another raid on two notorious drug joints in the FCT – “Dei-Dei’’ and Tora-Bora Hills, led to the recovery of 82.8kg skunk, 1.8kg Rohypnol and 1.2kg diazepam on Wednesday, Aug. 16.
“In Osun, NDLEA operatives destroyed clusters of Indian hemp plantations measuring about 3.5 hectares (more than 7.5 tons) at Mopatedo in Ifedayo Local Government Area of the state on Saturday, Aug. 19
“Two suspects – Sunday Otogbo (40), and Peter Makra (35), were arrested inside the Indian hemp farms.
“An additional 30kg of Indian hemp and 16.9kg of Indian hemp seeds were also recovered from the farms,’’ he stated.
Babafemi added that three other suspects – Ndubuisi Okorie (44), Ebilima Emmanuel (38), and Okechukwu Smart (40), were arrested on Aug. 19 in connection with 168kg of Indian hemp seized from them.
The suspects were arrested when their vehicle was intercepted on the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway, he stated.
“A shipment of 6,000 capsules of tramadol, 1,200 tablets of `swinol’, 155 bottles of codeine syrup and 20 tablets s of Molly was equally seized on the same road on Sunday, Aug. 13.
“A follow-up operation at Oyigbo area of Port Harcourt led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Remigius Ogechukwu (33),’’ Babafemi added.
He stated also that a teenager, Boniface Odinakachukwu (19), was arrested with a 99.4kg skunk at Isikwe Road, Achi in Oji-River Local Government Area of Enugu State on Friday, Aug. 18.
The NDLEA spokesman added that a wanted 19-year-old bandit, Aliyu Mohammed Altine, was arrested by NDLEA operatives on Illela-Sokoto Road with some wraps of skunk on Thursday, Aug. 17.
Altine was on the wanted list of the police and has since been handed over to the police in Sokoto State for further investigation, Babafemi stated.
.As it recovers hard drugs worth N4.8b in Lagos warehouse
NDLEA has recovered hard drugs worth N4.8 billion from a warehouse in Lagos.
Its spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi stated on Sunday in Abuja that the warehouse is tucked in the popular International Trade Fair Complex, Alaba, Ojo area of Lagos.
He added that NDLEA operatives raided the warehouse owned by a wanted billionaire drug baron on Saturday, Aug. 19.
He stated that the raid yielded 1.4 million pills of tramadol (225mg), weighing 826kg and 3.2 million pills of codeine with gross weight of 3,360kg.
Babafemi stated that 2,841 cartons of codeine syrup containing 28,410 litres of the substance in 284,100 bottles were also recovered from the warehouse.
“The drugs have a combined street value of N4,820,500,000,’’ he stated.
Babafemi stated also that during the operation that lasted hours, a suspect, Paulinus Ojukwu, the Chief Security Officer to the wanted drug baron was arrested and was assisting in on-going investigation.
“The wanted drug baron and operator of the warehouse parades himself as an automobile spare parts dealer.
“The latest drug warehouse bust is coming on the heels of the arrest of a drug baroness, Faith Nwankwo who was nabbed on Wednesday, Aug. 9 with 2.8 million pills of `tramaking’.
“ `Tramaking’ is a brand of tramadol in 225mg and 250mg
“Some of the drugs were recovered from Faith’s residence at House 6, C close, 3rd Avenue, FESTAC Town area of Lagos.
“Others were recovered from her warehouse located at Plot 3432 Sola Akinsola Street, Divine Estate, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos,’’ Babafemi stated.
