Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a suspected drug baroness and four other kingpins with multi-billion naira worth of Cocaine, Opioids and Loud recovered from their hideouts.
The spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday that the anti-narcotic agents arrested a female head of one of the syndicates, Faith Ebele Nwankwo on Wednesday 9th August 2023 at her residence, House 6, C close, 3rd Avenue, FESTAC area of Lagos State.
This was shortly after she returned from a warehouse at Plot 3432 Sola Akinsola Street, Divine Estate, Amuwo Odofin where she loaded eight cartons of tramadol 225mg into an unmarked white Honda Pilot spot Utility vehicle (SUV).
Babafeni revealed that a search of her residence and the warehouse led to the recovery of Two Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand (2,750,000) pills of tramaking, a brand of tramadol 225mg and 250mg packed in 39 cartons weighing 1,916 kilograms.
The drugs and the SUV were recovered while the suspect was taken into custody, according to the NDLEA, which also tracked a group of transnational syndicate involved in importation, exportation, distribution, and dealing in Cocaine and Canadian Loud, operatives of the same Special Unit of the Agency on Friday 4th August 2023 during the raid.
The NDLEA said it tracked the drug syndicate to Atlantic Nominee Estate in Lekki- Ajah area of Lagos where a blue Toyota Highlander SUV was loaded with 8.49kg of cocaine and 10.3kg Canadian Loud for distribution by the duo of Urama Chinemelum Precious, 32, and Adelakun Ilelabayo Oluade, 55.
A follow-up operation by the anti narcotic agents at the residence of Chinemelum at House 7, Road 7, Lagra estate, Eti-Osa, Lagos led to the recovery of additional 18 blocks of Loud weighing 18.5kg.
The following day, Saturday 5th August, operatives of the Special Unit went after another syndicate involved in importation, distribution and diversion of ephedrine hydrochloride, a precursor chemical used for the production of methamphetamine, following intelligence that members of the cartel were planning to divert 25 kilograms of the substance.
Two members of the syndicate, Udeh Vincent Ogbonna, 53, and Okonkwo Ifeanyi Uzozie, 50, were arrested at a commercial bus terminal in Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos where they were attempting to send the concealed substance to the South Eastern part of Nigeria.
A body search conducted on the two suspects led to the recovery of Three Thousand ($3,000) US Dollars found on Udeh Vincent Ogbonna, the statement said.
TheNewspad reports that the arrested suspects would be arraigned in courts when the investigations are concluded.
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