OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a cleaner, Ohiagu Sunday, who leads a drug syndicate at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
Sunday was nabbed on Tuesday, August 23, 2022 following the arrest of an intending passenger on an Air Peace flight to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Obinna Jacob Osita.
He was arrested with three bags, two of which contained eight blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 4.25 kilogramme concealed in cassava flakes (gari) and crayfish.
One other member of the airport syndicate working with Sunday has also been arrested, while NDLEA operatives are hunting for another suspect.
Investigations revealed that a Dubai-based drug dealer recruited one Obinna, a 42-year-old indigene of Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State, to traffic the drugs, and equally contracted 34-year-old Sunday, from Orlu West Local Government Area of Imo State, to create unhindered ppassage of the trafficker.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement he forwarded to The ICIR today, said the drug syndicate bust, which he described as the first drug arrest at the new terminal of the MMIA, came on the heels of the seizure of a consignment of bottles of viju and fearless energy drinks used to conceal skunk for export to Dubai.
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“A freight agent has already been arrested in connection with the seizure,” the NDLEA stated.
The agency also stated that an attempt by a syndicate to export illicit drugs through the Lagos airport on Wednesday, August 24 was foiled during an outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline to Oman via Addis Ababa.
“A suspect, Jonah Chukwuemeka, was arrested with a total of 1,995 Tramadol tablets with a gross weight of 900 grammes hidden in locust beans in his luggage.
“The bag containing the illicit substance was handed over to him at the airport by one Olagunju Abbas, who was promptly arrested.
“Packs of Tramadol 225mg containing 119,500 capsules were on Thursday 25th August transferred to the NDLEA by the Nigeria Customs, cargo wing of the MMIA.
“The consignment had come in through Ethiopian Airline from Pakistan,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives on Saturday August 27, 2022 raided a car shop, Bolak Motors, at Ewenla bus stop, Oshodi, where bags of 615.2kg cannabis were recovered, along with nine vehicles. Efforts are ongoing to track the car dealer, Alhaji Ismail.
No fewer than eight suspects were arrested, and bags of illicit drugs were seized when operatives raided the Agege, Shogunle and Mafoluku areas of Oshodi, Fagba area of Ogba, Ipodo area of Ikeja and Iyana Ipaja motor park at Lagos State.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance