Cocaine trafficking couple arrested while shipping narcotics worth billions of naira to Ghana (NDLEA)

NDLEA busts two drug cartels, recovers billions of naira worth of cocaine and fentanyl

• Arrest of a couple and 4 other people; intercepts noisy cargo hidden in the compartments of imported vehicles

A cocaine trafficking cartel run by a couple: Bolanle Lookman Dauda and Olayinka Toheebat Dauda has been busted in Lagos and Ogun states by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, with billions of naira worth of illicit drugs recovered in two major operations following the arrest of the kingpin and his queen during one of the raids carried out by the intelligence agencies.

The two men were arrested on Saturday, May 25, 2024, by operatives of a special operations unit of the NDLEA with the support of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration in Ibiye, along the Lagos-Badagry expressway, as they attempted to cross the land border to deliver the consignment to Ghana. .

At the time of their arrest, 42 blocks of the Class A drug weighing 47.5 kilograms were found on them. A quick follow-up operation at their residence located at Plot 24/25 OPIC Extension, Petedo road, Agbara, Ogun State, recovered eight more blocks of the same drug weighing 10kg, bringing the weight total cocaine seized from the couple. at 57.5 kilograms.

In another special operations unit raid, as many as 1,100 vials of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl, weighing 6.48 kg, were recovered from a trafficking syndicate member of drugs, Ikeh Stanley Ifeanyi, 34, at the popular Idumota market in Lagos. Island.

No less than 790 ampoules of the dangerous opioid weighing 5.273 kg were also seized from another member of the fentanyl syndicate, Chieze Ogechukwu Benjamin, 48, who was also arrested at Idumota market. Fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid 100 times more potent than heroin, is currently responsible for more than 70% of overdose deaths and is a major contributor to fatal and non-fatal overdoses in the United States.

Two others: Olayiwola Aremu Kazeem, 37, and Ogunfowora Taofik Ajibola, 35, were arrested on Lagos Island during another raid by NDLEA operatives with 432 grams of methamphetamine recovered from them.

At Tincan Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Saturday May 25 intercepted 15 packages of Loud, a synthetic variety of cannabis weighing 7.5kg, concealed in the doors and body crevices of a Toyota Highlander SUV in a container marked MSMU 7294325. The container declared as containing three units of used vehicles, including the Toyota Highlander, originating from Toronto and shipped to Nigeria via Montreal, Canada.

A quick follow-up operation led to the arrest of two suspects: Sunday Sodade and Oriyomi Adesina, who were to receive the vehicle and the consignment of drugs. A bribe of six million naira offered to NDLEA officers by the Canada-based container shipper through his agent was also recorded as an exhibit for the prosecution of the case.

Reacting to the arrest of the drug lords and seizure of dangerous illicit drugs, the Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers and men of Special Operations Unit for their resilience in targeting and capture. against drug cartels and barons. He also commended the results-oriented collaboration between the NDLEA and its local and international partners, calling on all commands and formations of the Agency to remain relentless in their offensive action against the drug underworld.

Femi Babafemi

Director, Media and Advocacy

NDLEA Head Office in Abuja

Tuesday May 27, 2024