NDLEA Intercepts Cocaine Hidden in Lipsticks,.Landed Documents
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully intercepted shipments of cocaine ingeniously concealed within lipsticks and property title documents, destined for the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.
In a statement released on Sunday, the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that the narcotics were uncovered within cargo shipments at a courier company in Lagos by officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), affiliated with the logistics firm.
The statement revealed that 420 grams of cocaine were discovered factory-fitted within 84 pieces of female lipsticks intended for the UK, while a further 280 grams of the substance were clandestinely hidden inside a property title document (Certificate of Occupancy) designated for shipment to Saudi Arabia.
Babafemi further confirmed the apprehension of a notorious drug kingpin, Ajetsibo Emami, colloquially known as ‘Warri Kinsman,’ on 28th June in Lagos following a three-day operation that culminated in the dismantling of his drug trafficking network and the arrest of three additional suspects.
The operation unveiled 24 jumbo bags containing 681 pouches of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 414.2 kilograms, concealed at a location in Ikeja. Intelligence had indicated Emami’s intention to transport the consignment to Lekki for distribution throughout Lagos and beyond.
In another significant bust, businessman Ajah Johnson Uchenna, his wife Rosemary Uchenna, their daughters Stella and Ngozi, along with a family friend, Okoro Elijah, were detained after revelations surfaced that the family orchestrated a major drug distribution network in Lagos.
The couple was initially arrested on 13th June by the Department of State Security (DSS) in Ojo and subsequently transferred to NDLEA, along with 277.5kg of skunk. While still in custody, further intelligence prompted another raid on their residence and storage facility on 1st July, resulting in the recovery of 231kg of the same substance.
Three additional suspects — Ngozi Uchenna, Blessing Uchenna, and Okoro Elijah — were apprehended during the raid, found to be operating the family enterprise in the couple’s absence.
Meanwhile, on 2nd July, NDLEA operatives at Lagos International Airport intercepted a frequent flyer, Aburemi Hysent, who specializes in transporting goods between Nigeria and Italy. He had concealed 7,660 tramadol pills (225mg and 200mg) within food items prepared for export. He confessed to being promised €800 for successful delivery.
In another airport operation, 52 pieces of travelers’ cheques valued at AU$17.7 million, secreted within children’s books and bound for Malaysia via Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight, were seized. A freight agent, Bolarinwa Saheed, was arrested in connection with the case. The suspect and the purported counterfeit cheques will be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.
At the Seme border in Badagry, operatives recovered 718 large balls of skunk weighing 359kg from a store in the Baba-Pupa area on Saturday. Along the Okene-Lokoja highway, another 10,000 tramadol pills (225mg), co-codamol, and 1.050kg of Colorado (synthetic cannabis) were intercepted, leading to the arrest of Chinedu Odo, Samuel Ogbonna, and Kingsley Ugaji at Jabi Park, Abuja.
In Osun State, two suspects — Agunbiade Folusho and Suleiman Dasola — were arrested in Ajegunle, Osogbo, with 13,901 pills and ampoules of various opioids, while another suspect, Adebayo Adewale, was apprehended at a patent medicine shop in Ile-Ife with 48,205 pills.
A raid on a vulcanizer’s workshop at Akindeko junction, Alekuwodo, Osogbo, on 1st July resulted in the arrest of Wasiu Ajadi, Babatunde Jamiu Ojo, and Yusuf Sarafadeen, along with 1,250 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 850 tramadol pills, and three bottles of codeine syrup.
In Oke-Ila forest, Osun State, NDLEA destroyed 24,175kg of skunk discovered on a 9.67-hectare cannabis farm. Seven suspects — Bunmi Adedapo, Adebisi Sodiq, Babatunde Gani, John Sunday, Israel Odabe, Solomon Odabe, and Prosper Odabe — were apprehended during the 3rd July raid.
In Borno State, 167kg of skunk was seized at Gamboru-Ngala. Another 452kg was recovered at Gadar Tamburawa along the Zaria-Kano road, with suspects Nasuru Saleh and Mustapha Muhammad arrested.
Along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway, 11,000 tramadol pills (225mg) were recovered from Sule Ibrahim Sadiq on 3rd July, while in Sokoto, 62-year-old Joseph Onungene was detained with 4,800 tramadol pills.
In Kebbi State, NDLEA operatives raided Bakin Kasuwa in Yauri, seizing 312kg of skunk and 10,000 diazepam tablets. In Taraba State, Chigbo Okolo and Ishaku Musa were arrested with 49,930 tramadol capsules in Mallum, Ardo-Kola LGA.
In Edo State, a raid in Ewere forest, Owan West LGA, led to the arrest of a wanted suspect, Alaba Monday, with 115kg of processed skunk. Three other suspects — Shamsu Abdullahi, Peter Egboko, and Justin John — were also apprehended on another cannabis farm measuring 2.05 hectares.
In Cross River State, 78-year-old Mike Abeng was arrested with 14.49kg of skunk and tramadol in Ofudua, Obubra LGA. Others apprehended during the same operation include Oyom Akam, Sylvester Odem, and Moses Ayo, all detained in Ovonum, Obubra LGA.
