Nigeria’s anti-narcotic agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has seized 1,855 kilograms of Cocaine worth N193 billion in a warehouse in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
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A statement by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the agency disclosed that four drug barons including a Jamaican and the warehouse manager were arrested in the well-coordinated and intelligence-led operation that lasted two days across different locations in Lagos state.
The drug is worth over two hundred and seventy-eight million dollars.
“Kingpins of the cocaine cartel in custody include: Messrs Soji Jibril, 69, an indigene of Ibadan, Oyo state; Emmanuel Chukwu, 65, who hails from Ekwulobia, Anambra state, Wasiu Akinade, 53, from Ibadan, Oyo state, Sunday Oguntelure, 53, from Okitipupa, Ondo state and Kelvin Smith, 42, a native of Kingston, Jamaica.
“The suspects are all members of an international drug syndicate that the Agency has been trailing since 2018.”
The warehouse was raided on Sunday 18th September 2022, while the barons were picked from hotels and their hideouts in different parts of Lagos between Sunday night and Monday 19th September.
“Preliminary investigation reveals the class A drugs were warehoused in the residential estate from where the cartel was trying to sell them to buyers in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. They were stored in 10 travel bags and 13 drums.”
While commending all the officers and men of the Agency involved in the extensive investigation including those of the American Drug Enforcement Administration, (US-DEA), the Chief Executive of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa said the bust is a historical blow to the drug cartels and a strong warning that the game has changed.
PIAK
