NDLEA arrests businesswoman, auto parts dealer, over UK-bound cocaine

The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Babafemi said the NDLEA officers at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA) Lagos on Friday, Sept. 6, intercepted a cargo going to the UK.

He said that a thorough search of the consignment revealed 924 bottles of codeine-based syrup weighing 135.70kg and 5,250 tablets of Rohypnol were hidden in cartons of foodstuffs.

He also said the freight agent, Owojori Olanrewaju who presented the cargo for export was promptly arrested.

Further investigation led to the arrest of another suspect, Adewunmi Temitope, who claimed that his mother, 58-year-old Adewunmi Adebola sent the consignment to him from Ibadan to deliver to the agent.

A follow-up operation on Saturday, Sept. 7, led to the arrest of Mrs Adewunmi in Ibadan where she deals in foodstuffs and cargo export.

In his statement, the agent Owojori confessed that he has been working for Adewunmi to export cargoes to the UK.

He also said he was paid N2.4 million for the job, while he was paid N2.1 million for a similar consignment handled for the businesswoman earlier, he said.

Also, NDLEA operatives at the same export shed of the Lagos airport on Sept. 11, intercepted some cartons of auto spare parts and checkers powder custard going to Congo Brazzaville on Ethiopian Airlines.

Babafemi said that a diligent search of the cargo led to the discovery of 300g of cocaine concealed in the containers of checker powder custard packed together with some auto parts.

A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the sender of the consignment, Arinze Ora, who deals in auto parts at Shop 12, Block 7 Aspamda Trade Fair Auto Parts Wing, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos, he said.

Meanwhile, operatives of a Special Operations Unit of NDLEA on Tuesday, Sept. 10, arrested two brothers: Ikechukwu Ikeabba and Ugochukwu Ikeabba who are alleged sponsors of drug traffickers who specialised in exporting drugs by ingestion to Vietnam.

Babafemi said their arrests followed a diligent investigation of an earlier arrest of an Onitsha, Anambra based-businessman, Ibeanusi Nosike, who excreted 68 wraps of cocaine.

The drugs which weighed 1.282kg were intercepted after 12 days of excretion observation after he was arrested at the local wing of the Lagos airport by NDLEA operatives.

The 36-year-old Ibeanusi was arrested in the early hours of Aug. 8, at the old domestic terminal of the Lagos airport while attempting to board the first flight out of Lagos to Abuja.

This was where he was scheduled to join a Qatar Airways flight to Vietnam at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, (NAIA), Abuja at about 10 a.m. the same day, he said.

Also, another Vietnam-bound businessman, 54-year-old Paul Mbadugha was arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Abuja airport on Monday, Aug. 12, during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR 1432 to Hanoi, Vietnam via Doha after he tested positive for ingestion of cocaine.

After four days under observation, Mbadugha excreted 88 wraps of the illicit drug with a gross weight of 1.710kg.

At the time of the arrest of the two kingpins, the Ikeabba brothers, they were caught with 87 wraps of cocaine dummies used in training intending swallowers, he said.