Nigeria busts international drug trafficking syndicate

from OKORO CHINEDU in Lagos, Nigeria
Nigeria Bureau
LAGOS, (CAJ News) – NIGERIAN authorities have reported the arrest of three individuals allegedly involved in illicit drug trafficking in Africa, America and Europe.

Locally, the trio allegedly deals in drugs across Mozambique, Nigeria and South Africa.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) made the arrests following the seizure of the single largest consignment of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos.

A total of 51,90 kilograms of heroin had been recovered from members of the drug cartel in an operation that began February 10 at the airport’s Cargo terminal.

The consignment was concealed in 15 cartons of metal cutting machines, with no less than 45 blocks of the illicit substance weighing 49,70kg recovered from the equipment, while additional 2,2kg was seized at the syndicate’s warehouse in Ayobo area of Lagos.

Onyinyechi Irene Igbokwuputa and Frankline Upchucked were arrested in Lagos and Anambra state respectively.

Another wanted member of the syndicate, Osita Emmanuel Obinna was apprehended in Lagos.

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, commended the arrest as part of the War against Drugs (WADA) campaign in the Adamawa, Anambra, Bayelsa, Imo and Lagos regions.

“He equally applauded their counterparts across the country for intensifying their WADA advocacy lectures thus creating parity between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities,” said Femi Babafemi, spokesperson of the NDLEA.

– CAJ News