NDLEA arrests three men for alleged trafficking of cocaine, skunk

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested three men and a Nigerien in connection with the alleged possession of 52.252 kilograms of cocaine, methamphetamine, and skunk.

The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Babafemi said 32, 590 pills of opioids were also seized in Lagos, Kwara, Plateau, Sokoto, and two courier companies by NDLEA operatives.

He said a suspect on the agency’s watchlist, Benjamin Chimaobi, was arrested on February 18 at Victory Estate in Iba, Ojo area of Lagos.

The suspect, according to him, was arrested in connection with seized 19.70kgs of cocaine abandoned on an Ethiopian airline flight that arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on February 9.

He said Chimaobi had traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to pick up the consignment.

The spokesman said: “He claimed it was handed over to him in a black backpack bag on the plane in Addis Ababa, but failed to disembark with it on arrival in Lagos.

READ ALSO: NDLEA recovers 2.6m tablets of tramadol, others in 6 states, arrests 13 suspects

“While the agency continues to investigate the flight crew members, relevant intelligence and investigative tools were deployed to identify the passenger who brought the consignment to Nigeria.

“He was eventually unraveled and traced to Victory Estate, Iba, where he was arrested.

“The operatives on February 23 intercepted an intending passenger on a Turkish Airline flight to Torino via Milan, Italy, at the Departure Hall of Lagos airport.

The suspect, Obazee Timothy Eguagie, was arrested with various quantities of opioids consisting of a total of 22, 840 tablets of Tramadol 225mg weighing 10.60 kg.

“Others include 1000 tablets of Tramadol 200mg with a gross weight of 600 grams; 2, 300 capsules of Tramadol 100mg weighing 800 grams and 60 tablets of Rohypnol 1mg, weighing 19 grams.”

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