NDLEA Arrests India-bound Businessman With Cocaine

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 48-year-old businessman, Nwankwo Innocent Onyebuchi, with 1.550 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in the walls and railings of his travel bag while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to New Delhi, India.

The arrest was made at the departure hall of Terminal II of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, following a search of his check-in luggage.

Onyebuchi, who deals in marble in Lagos, reportedly told NDLEA operatives that he had sold his business and other assets to raise N23 million to purchase the cocaine, hoping to sell it in India for as much as N100 million.

The arrest was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, detailing a series of arrests and drug seizures across Lagos, Kano, Kwara, Edo, Plateau, Oyo and Delta states.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives also raided a warehouse located within a residential compound on Hakeem Dosumu Street, Ago Palace area of Okota, where they recovered 3,776 cartons containing 377,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup.

The controlled substance, seized between August 7 and 8, was valued at more than N2.6 billion.

In another intelligence-led operation in Lagos, operatives raided the residence of a 55-year-old alleged drug kingpin, Shoremi Kayode, at Ipaja Estate, recovering 324 kilogrammes of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, worth N972 million.

Two vehicles (a Mercedes-Benz and a Toyota Corolla) were also recovered from the suspect.

The agency also recorded major seizures in Kwara and Oyo states. In Kwara, 50-year-old Abubakar Adamu and 30-year-old Bilyaminu Nuhu were arrested at Kam Wire area of Ilorin with 55.96kg of skunk concealed in a truck marked DKA 350 XL.

In Oyo State, a 70-year-old man, Abdulfatai Oyelaran, and a 50-year-old Abdulrauf Ajadi were arrested along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The suspects were found in possession of 52,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 6,000 ampoules of tramadol injection concealed in their Toyota Sienna vehicle marked FFA-115KA.