NDLEA Operatives Bust Drug Smuggling Syndicates, Apprehend Brazil Returnee and Ex-Beauty Queen
In a significant operation, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully apprehended Udechukwu Ekene Theophilus, a Brazil returnee, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The suspect, who had ingested 60 wraps of cocaine totaling 1.279 kilograms, was intercepted during inward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Initially resisting a body scan, Udechukwu later agreed to excretion observation, leading to the expulsion of 60 wraps of the class A drug. The suspect claimed to have ingested the consignment in Brazil with the intention to discharge it in Addis Ababa.
However, he only managed to excrete 15 pellets before handing them over to a syndicate member, subsequently boarding a connecting flight to Nigeria.
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In another major development, NDLEA operatives uncovered 12 cartons of tramadol weighing 385.40kg from an overstayed cargo at the SAHCO import shed at Lagos airport. The tramadol, arriving in two batches on KLM Royal Dutch Airline flights from Karachi, Pakistan, between July 27 and August 1, 2023, highlights the agency’s success in combating illicit drug trade.
Additionally, NDLEA conducted successful operations across various states, seizing 822 kilograms of cannabis sativa in Yobe and arresting suspects in Yobe, Kogi, and Kano states. A truck carrying cannabis, tramadol, and diazepam pills was intercepted on the Gombe-Bauchi road.
The agency also declared ex-beauty queen Ms. Aderinoye Queen Christmas wanted after she eluded capture during a raid on her Lekki residence. The search yielded 606 grams of Canadian Loud, an electronic weighing scale, drug packaging materials, and a black RAV 4 SUV marked Lagos KSF 872 GQ, exposing the extent of her alleged involvement in illicit substances.
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Furthermore, members of an international drug trafficking syndicate, Sunday Michael Owoborode and Valentine Anene, were arrested in Ogun state, while Sunday Adediran was apprehended in Lagos with 20kg of cannabis sativa.
These successful operations underscore the NDLEA’s commitment to dismantling drug networks and ensuring the safety of the public.
