Lagos – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA ) has seized 1.8tons (1,855 kilograms) of illicit drugs worth more than $278, 250,000 from a warehouse located in Ikorodu, Lagos State.
The seizures which is worth N194, 775,000,000 in street value were seized from a major warehouse tucked in a secluded estate in Ikorodu.
Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Spokesman in a statement on Monday in Abuja said the drugs were discovered during a raid by operatives on Sunday, Sept. 18.
According to him, it appears to be the biggest singular cocaine seizure in the history of the anti-narcotic agency.
“Located at 6 , Olukuola Crescent, Solebo Estate, Ikorodu, 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.
“At least, four drug barons including a Jamaican and the warehouse manager have been arrested in the well coordinated and intelligence-led operation that lasted two days across different locations in Lagos state.
“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.
“They are all members of an international drug syndicate that the Agency has been trailing since 2018,” Babafemi explained.
The seized drugs in bags.
NDLEA said preliminary investigation revealed that the seized class A drugs were warehoused in the residential estate from where the cartel was planning to sell them to buyers in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world.
“They were stored in 10 travel bags and 13 drums,” the statement added.
In his reaction, the Chairman of NDLEA, Brig.- Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa commended all officers and men involved in the extensive investigation that led to the seizures.
He similarly commended officers and men of the American Drug Enforcement Administration, (US-DEA) for their collaborative efforts.
“The bust is a historical blow to the drug cartels and a strong warning that they’ll all go down if they fail to realise that the game has changed,” the statement quoted Marwa as saying.(vitalnewsngr.com)
