Drug Trafficking: NDLEA nabs Indian, 3 others over N3.9bn Tramadol pills at Lagos Airport

*Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforced Agency apprehends certain Gupta Ravi Kumar, an Indian businessman, and three other Nigerian accomplices in connection with the seizure of 2,248,000 pills of tramadol 200mg/225mg

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Operatives of Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforced Agency (NDLEA) have arrested certain Gupta Ravi Kumar, an Indian businessman, and three other Nigerian accomplices.

Kumar’s local accomplices the NDLEA operatives also nabbed include Ogunlana Noah Olanrewaju, Olushola Idrees Kayode and Bakare Korede Muheebb

The anti-narcotics regulatory agency said it arrested the drug suspects in connection with the seizure of 2,248,000 pills of tramadol 200mg/225mg.

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Mr. Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA, in Abuja, FCT, who disclosed this development in a statement issued Sunday, September 14, said the operatives intercepted the prohibited items at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), in Ikeja, Lagos.

Babafemi also noted in Anambra State, a couple: Nzube Onyedika, 41, and Ebele Onyedika, 42, were arrested during a raid at Obosi where 13.9kg Methamphetamine and 5.3kg skunk were recovered from them.

The statement also noted the tramadol shipment worth N3.99billion was imported from Delhi, in India.

However, the drug was disguised as multi-vitamins in 114 cartons and arrived at the import shed of the Lagos airport on an Ethiopian Airline flight September 8 this year.

Babafemi explained that a team of the agency’s officers, who had put the consignment under surveillance, swooped on a clearing agent and two drivers who were trying to take the shipment from the airport in two trucks last Thursday.

A follow-up the next day led to the arrest of Kumar, he stated.

The agency further said at the Terminal 2 Departure gate of the airport, operatives the previous Sunday also had arrested a passenger, Onyeganochi Stanley Ifeanyi, who was on a Qatar Airline flight to Doha.

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The NDLEA Director of Media and Publicity said a search of Ifeanyi’s bag led to the recovery of 900grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis concealed in crayfish.

He noted: “As a first-time traveller, Onyeganochi claimed the bag was given to him to help take to Doha by a Qatar-based Nigerian Ohadiegwu Anthony Uchenna who actually followed him to the airport.

The suspect’s confession led to the arrest of Uchenna.

Operatives who later searched Uchenna’s hotel room in Ajao Estate discovered additional 200grams of the same psychoactive substance. He claimed he was to return to Doha days later and pick the bag from Onyeganochi if he had succeeded in escaping security checks.

The statement further noted, at the Tin Can Port in Lagos, a total of 161 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 81.7kg and 1.2kg hashish oil were recovered from a 40-ft container of vehicle spare parts and used vehicles imported from Montreal Canada during an examination of the shipment on September 9.

Two suspects: John Ochigbo, 53, and Okeke Kingsley, 26, have been taken into custody in connection with the seizure, among several others around the country.

Meanwhile, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NDLEA, expressed his appreciation to the officers.

Babafemi stated Marwa enjoined them, and their colleagues to continue with the ongoing offensives against the menace of drug trafficking and substance abuse in Nigeria.

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