Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have again seized N4.8 billion worth of illicit drugs at a warehouse tucked in the heart of the popular International Trade Fair Complex, Alaba, Ojo area of Lagos State.
In a harvest of raids at the weekend, operatives also recovered from the warehouse of a wanted billionaire drug baron some 1.4 million pills of tramadol 225mg weighing 826kgs, 3.2 million pills of codeine with gross weight of 3,360kgs, and 2,841 cartons of codeine syrup containing 284,100 bottles with 28,410 litres of the psychoactive substance, with a combined street value of N4.8 billion.
Spokesperson of the agency, Femi Babafemi, yesterday, said a suspect, Paulinus Ojukwu, the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the wanted drug baron, who parades himself as automobile spare parts dealer, was arrested and now assisting ongoing investigation.
The latest drug warehouse bust is coming on the heels of the arrest of a drug baroness, Faith Ebele Nwankwo, on Wednesday, August 9, with about 2.7 million pills of tramaking, a brand of tramadol 225mg and 250mg, recovered from her residence at House 6, C close, 3rd Avenue, Festac area of Lagos, and a warehouse located at Plot 3432 Sola Akinsola Street, Divine Estate, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos.
Earlier, NDLEA operatives on Friday, August 18, intercepted $20 million notes suspected to be counterfeit, during a stop and search operation along Abaji-Lokoja road, within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The suspected fake monies were recovered from a bus coming from Lagos to Abuja, while the 53-year-old driver, Onyebuchi Nlededin, was arrested. The previous day, Thursday, August 17, one Jude Ndubuisi, 52, was arrested with 2.2 kilogrammes of methamphetamine during a raid operation at Kabusa village, FCT.
The suspect was initially arrested with 20.75kg Cannabis on July l7, 2022, and was on court bail, following his ongoing prosecution befitting his recent involvement in another drug crime.
Another raid of two notorious drug joints within 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, August 26.
In Osun, NDLEA operatives in the early hours of Saturday, August 19, destroyed clusters of Cannabis farms at Mopatedo in Ifedayo Local Council of the state.
Two suspects: Sunday Otogbo, 40, and Peter Andel Makra, 35, were arrested inside the cannabis farms. Additional 30kg Cannabis and 16.9kg of Cannabis seeds were also recovered from the farms.
At least, three suspects: Ndubuisi Okorie, 44; Ebilima Emmanuel, 38, and Okechukwu Anthony Smart, 40, were arrested in connection with the seizure of 168kg Cannabis consignment when their vehicle was intercepted along Owerri-Onitsha Expressway, Imo State, on Saturday, August 19.
Another shipment of controlled drugs containing 6,000 capsules of tramadol, 1,200 tablets of swinol, 155 bottles of codeine syrup and 20 tablets of Molly was equally seized on the same road on Sunday, August 23, while a follow-up operation in Oyigbo area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Remigius Ogechukwu, 33.
While a teenager, Boniface Odinakachukwu, 19, was apprehended with 99.4kg skunk at Isikwe Road, Achi in Oji-River Local Council of Enugu State on Friday, August 18, a wanted teenage bandit, Aliyu Mohammed Altine, 19, was also arrested by NDLEA operatives along Illela- Sokoto road with some wraps of skunk on Thursday, August 17.
The suspect who is on the wanted list of the police has since been transferred to the police in Sokoto state for further investigation.
Guardian