NDLEA nabs 2 members of Afro-Europe cartel; intercepts Dubai-bound drugs

The anti-narcotic officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja Lagos have disrupted the activities of a drug syndicate that operates between Nigeria, East Africa, and Europe.

The officers arrested two members of the cartel.

Operatives at the Lagos airport had on Monday 13th March intercepted a member of the drug syndicate, Ejezie Vitus Ifeanyi, during the screening of inward passengers on an Ethiopian Airline flight from Malawi via Addis Ababa at the arrival hall.

When a search was conducted on him, it was discovered that one of his two bags has a false bottom concealment.

During a preliminary interview of the suspect, he confessed that a member of the syndicate was waiting at the car park of the airport to pick him up.

An immediate follow-up operation led to the arrest of Chukwu Franco Bright, who was waiting in a grey color Mercedes Benz C180 coupe, marked EKY 973 GQ to receive the drug consignment.

After his arrest, a proper search of the bag was conducted before the two suspects leading to the recovery of 3.00 kilograms of heroin.

Findings reveal that the drug syndicate networks between Nigeria, and Malawi, Mozambique in East Africa and Europe.

While Chukwu who lives in Lagos is responsible for the recruitment and coordination of the activities of mules on behalf of other members of the cartel based in Mozambique and Malawi, another set operates from the South-Eastern part of Nigeria.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the MMIA on Wednesday 15th March, also intercepted a jerrycan of palm oil going to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

At the point of examination, it was discovered that 600 grams of cannabis sativa were concealed inside the jerrycan of palm oil.

A suspect, Tunde Ogunbowale who presented the consignment for export to Dubai was immediately arrested. This is even as attempt to export 2.7kg cannabis packaged as part of dried onions to Dubai through a postal service firm was frustrated by NDLEA officers attached to the courier company, who seized a carton filled with colorful sachets of dried onions, used to conceal the illicit consignment.

Reacting to the efforts of the officers, Chairman/Chief Executive Officers of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers.

He charged them to intensify the heat on drug cartels.