NDLEA Intercepts Largest Heroin Consignment, Blocks 107 Accounts, Discovers N119million Cash
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has actually effectively taken apart and detained members of an arranged criminal organisation which specialises in trafficking heroin throughout Nigeria, South Africa, Mozambique, Europe and America.
This was attained after a 12-day well-coordinated operation causing the seizure of the single biggest consignment of heroin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos.
The Chairman of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), broke this news in an interview in Lagos.
While describing that the instruction remains in line with the Agency’s policy of openness in its restored battle versus drug traffickers, he provided a sequential quick of how the operation resulting in what is now the single biggest seizure of heroin at the Lagos airport was effectively performed.
According to Marwa: “It began on February 10, 2024, when NDLEA operatives of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Command obstructed a suspicious plan at the SAHCO Import Shed of the airport’s Cargo Terminal. The consignment was hidden in 15 containers of 2300-watt metal cutting devices. Each container was equipped with 3 blocks of state-of-the-art heroin. In overall, we recuperated 45 blocks of the illegal compound with an overall weight of 49.70 kg.
“After the discovery, we were systematic and careful in our examinations. We began with the arrest of the freight representative whose name is Olowolagba Wasiu Babatunde. It ended up that he was employed for clearing services by Mattpee Logistics, a business run by one Mr. Kola local in South Africa.
“Next, we carried out a follow up operation at the business’s storage facility in the Shogunle location of Oshodi, Lagos, and jailed the storage facility supervisor, whose name is Ajayi Imole Moses. Afterwards, we established an ambush for the anticipated receiver of the consignment who was properly detained when he appeared for collection. This receiver, whose name is Adinnu Felix Chinedu, admitted throughout interrogation, that he is the primary supplier for a drug distribute whose subscription is spread out throughout Nigeria.
“He confessed that he typically communicated the consignment to a devoted storage facility situated in Ayobo. That location functioned as a workshop where he would take apart the consignment and eliminate the drugs from the devices.
“Thereafter, he would await a list of numerous receivers to be forwarded to him from South Africa by the head of the criminal group.
“Our operatives did due diligence by carrying out a comprehensive search of the storage facility which resulted in the healing of 56 comparable containers of the cutting makers that were utilized formerly as modes of concealment to shuttle heroin into Nigeria. At this moment, it was clear that we are handling a distribute that runs in other nations. By the time, we were done checking out numerous leads we had, we unwinded an arranged criminal network that runs in South Africa, Mozambique, Nigeria and parts of Europe and America.
“This distribute has a broad network in Nigeria due to the fact that the consignments we took were marked with numerous codenames, revealing that they came from various members of this organised criminal group.
“Furthermore, in our follow-up operation, we revealed from the suspect a long list of receivers of illegal drugs. In the end, we had the ability to recognize the kingpin of the distribute here in Nigeria and his name is Reginald Peter Chidiebere. Our examinations revealed that he owns the Golden Platinum Hotel and Suite, situated at 16 Reginald Peter Chidiebere Street, Hope Estate, Ago Palace.
“The NDLEA manager stated a number of days of security on the hotel culminated in a raid operation on Monday, February 19 in which another drug mule, Igboanugo Chukwuebuka Thankgod, was discovered in ownership of 2 parcels of 2.2 kg heroin with codes comparable to the ones discovered on the taken drug delivery, bringing the overall seizure to 51.90 kgs.
Check out Also:
“He easily admitted that he was welcomed by Mr. Reginald Peter Chidiebere to the hotel on Sunday, February 18, 2024. He was lodged in among the spaces and was later on summoned by the receptionist to fulfill a visitor, from whom Reginald Peter Chidiebere had actually notified him over the phone to get a bundle. This series of action was verified by an evaluation of the CCTV at the hotel.”
He even more described that pre-emptive actions up until now taken versus members of the distribute consist of freezing an overall of 107 checking account connected with 14 members of the cartel along with N119,582,928.31 discovered in a few of the currently traced savings account. He included that the hotel and an estate connected to the head of the distribute in Nigeria, Reginald Peter Chidiebere and another estate connected to the head of the distribute in Mozambique, Festus Ibewuike situated in Ago Palace location had actually currently been marked for loss to the Federal Government.
He stated the procedure yielded more fruit on Thursday 22nd February when a female member of the distribute and spouse of Festus Ibewuike, Mrs. Confidence Ndidiamaka, Ibewuike, who is among those to gather part of the consignment from Adinnu Felix Chinedu, was apprehended at Ago Palace location on last Thursday.
“When they were brought face to deal with, he (Adinnu Felix Chinedu) instantly recognized her as one of the members of the criminal distribute who had actually gotten comparable plans of heroin with the distribute’s logo design from him on 2 various events. She rejected understanding Adinnu or getting anything from him previously, examination later on exposed how her hubby recognized as Festus Ibewuike who is a leading kingpin and presently living in Mozambique utilized to send out drug consignments to her through Adinnu Felix Chinedu.
“With pictorial proof of various parcels with various codes and utilizing other methods, we had the ability to verify a number of guidelines from her hubby to her relating to illegal drug deliveries currently gathered in the past. A search was without delay performed in their home situated at the Ago Palace location, Festac Town where a Toyota Venza automobile was recuperated along with numerous files consisting of, bank and residential or commercial property files coming from Festus Ibewuike,” he included.
He stated that their estate in Ago Palace location has actually likewise been marked for loss to the Federal Government.
As part of efforts to make sure all those included are brought to book, Marwa ensured that “NDLEA has actually shared extensive intelligence with our South African equivalents for required action relating to the other members of the group living because nation.”
He stated, “there is a parallel in between this seizure and the September 18, 2022 seizure of 2,139.5 kg drug in an Ikorodu storage facility. That was the most significant particular drug seizure in the history of NDLEA. This present bust is the biggest single heroin seizure at the MMIA up until now.”
While applauding the synergy and support the NDLEA takes pleasure in from other stakeholders like Customs, the military, Immigration, Police, DSS, NSCDC, FRSC, NAFDAC, Aviation Security (AVSEC) and the media in addition to global partners, Marwa stated the Agency will not relent in its offending action targeting drug barons and their networks.
“In our restored battle versus drug trafficking, our offending action is particularly targeting drug barons to interrupt circulation networks and root out the drug pipelines in the nation. To this end, we have actually jailed 48 barons in 3 years, 15 of whom are currently serving prison terms while the rest are dealing with trials in court. This need to function as a cautioning to others that there is no hiding location in Nigeria for anybody associated with the illegal drug trade.
“NDLEA is fixed to end the reign of drug barons and detach Nigeria from the worldwide drug trafficking network. We have actually preserved a regularly strong efficiency, weekly. With this heroin bust, we are sending out a caution once again to drug traffickers within and outside the county that if they stop working to desist from the illegal drug trade, the long arm of the law will overtake them,” the NDLEA employer mentioned.