NDLEA arrests Indian, 3 Nigerians over N3.9bn Tramadol shipment

By Kingsley Omonobi

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested an Indian businessman, Gupta Ravi Kumar, alongside three Nigerian accomplices, over a N3.9 billion tramadol shipment intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos.

The suspects, Ogunlana Olanrewaju, Olushola Kayode, and Bakare Muheeb, were linked to 2,248,000 pills of tramadol 200mg/225mg imported from Delhi, India.

NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said the consignment, disguised as multi-vitamins in 114 cartons, arrived aboard an Ethiopian Airline flight on September 8.

Giving details of the operation that led to the arrest of the suspects, Babafemi said: “Operatives who had placed the shipment under surveillance swooped on a clearing agent and two drivers attempting to move the drugs in trucks on September 11. A follow-up operation led to Kumar’s arrest as he attempted to take delivery of the consignment.

“At the airport’s terminal two, operatives intercepted a passenger, Onyeganochi Stanley Ifeanyi, heading to Doha on Qatar Airways with 900 grams of skunk concealed in crayfish. His confession led to the arrest of his accomplice, Ohadiegwu Anthony Uchenna, in whose hotel room another 200 grams of skunk was found.

“At the Tincan Port, Lagos, officers recovered 161 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 81.7kg and 1.2kg of hashish oil from a container of spare parts imported from Montreal. Two suspects, John Ochigbo, 53, and Okeke Kingsley, 26, were arrested. Another 65kg of Loud was seized after operatives intercepted a Toyota Sienna on Third Mainland Bridge, arresting driver Abubakar Ibrahim, 42.

“Similarly, methamphetamine concealed in a picture frame destined for Gabon and 1.1kg of Loud hidden in decoders bound for the UAE were intercepted at courier firms in Lagos.

“In Ikorodu, Lagos, a factory producing skuchies—a mixture of cannabis and blackcurrant—was raided. NDLEA recovered 6,029 bottles of the drink and 4,232kg of cannabis. Factory manager, Joy Awosika, was arrested, while another suspect, Akeem Oriola, was nabbed with 26kg skunk in Mushin.

“In Abuja, a dispatch rider, Godsplan Vincent, 29, was arrested at Utako with 50.7 grams of cocaine and 66 grams of Loud. In Oyo, three women—Faidat Azeez, 25; Alanu Fatimoh, 40; and Mojeed Taiwo, 25—were arrested with 17kg skunk.

“In Kano, 100,000 tramadol pills were seized from Musa Shuaibu, 38, while 196 litres of akuskura, 34.1kg skunk, 493 tubes of rubber solution, and 25 litres of “suck and die” were recovered from other suspects.”

“In Anambra, a couple, Nzube and Ebele Onyedika, were arrested with 13.9kg of meth and 5.3kg skunk, while another suspect, Nnamchi Tochukwu, was caught with meth, tramadol, swinol, heroin, and skunk.

“In Yobe, Mohammed Auwal was arrested with 22.1kg cannabis, while in Ogun, three cross-border traffickers—Kunyadi Ogbungbun, 24; Olalekan Adewale, 20; and Sanya Joshua, 22—were arrested with 394kg skunk at Imeko during a joint NDLEA-police operation.

“In Edo, operatives destroyed over 16,966kg of cannabis on a plantation covering 6.7 hectares in Ugbogyi forest, Ovia South West LGA. Another 1,176kg was recovered, with four suspects arrested.

Commending the officers, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), urged continued vigilance. “These arrests and seizures reflect our balanced approach to tackling the drug menace,” he said.

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