The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency yesterday said its operatives have arrested three visually impaired individuals involved in an illicit drug operation spanning Lagos and Kano while also confiscating N13 billion worth of Tramadol and Codeine.
According to the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in Abuja yesterday, another blind member of the syndicate is still at large, adding that the group’s lid was blown off when a 40-year-old blind suspect, Adamu Hassan, was apprehended on October 28, while traveling from Lagos to Kano and carrying 12 kg of skunk.
He said: “Investigations, however, established that he was totally oblivious of the content of the bag handed to him to deliver in Kano. Follow-up operations then led to the arrest of the arrowhead of the syndicate, Bello Abubakar, 45, who is also blind.
“In his statement, Bello, who is married with five children, said he has been living in Lagos for 30 years but started the illicit drug business five years ago.”
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Another 59-year-old individual, Muktar Abubakar, who is also visually impaired, said he has resided in Lagos for 40 years and is married to three wives with 14 children. The NDLEA disclosed that both Muktar Abubakar and Bello Abubakar were co-owners of the operation.
Meanwhile, the third suspect, 25-year-old Akilu Amadu, who is also visually impaired, actively contributed funds to the illicit trade and was responsible for delivering the consignment to Adamu at the motor park in Lagos for onward transportation to Kano.
In another development, a 50-year-old Netherland-bound businessman, Nwokolo Ifeanyi nabbed by the National Drug Law Agency (NDLEA), has excreted 86 pellets of heroin weighing 1.330kg while in NDLEA’s custody.
According to Babafemi, Ifeanyi was intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on October 29 while travelling to Amsterdam via Paris.
“The suspect, who travelled from Lagos to board the flight in Abuja, was subsequently kept under observation for some days during which he excreted the drugs,’’ he stated, adding that the NDLEA operatives attached to courier firms also intercepted 22 parcels of cocaine on October 30.
The drugs, he said, were concealed in the walls of a carton containing woven local fabrics popularly called “Aso Oke,” heading to Jeddah.
He said: “On November 4, the NDLEA operatives stormed the Obada Sawmill Forest in Owena-Ijesa, Oriade Local Government Area of Osun where they arrested one Monday Sylvester (37).”
Sylvester, according to Babafemi, was arrested on 6.01 hectares of Indian hemp, which was destroyed and 489.8kg already processed weed recovered, adding that operatives in Edo State raided a trans-loading point inside Avbiosi Forest, in Owan West Local Government Area where 603kg of Indian hemp were seized.
Also in Ogun State, the NDLEA officers recovered a Toyota Sienna bus from a ditch at Ajebo Area on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on November 3.
“A search of the vehicle led to the seizure of 460kg of Indian hemp. At Olagunju Street in Mushin area of Lagos, NDLEA seized 116.5kg of Indian hemp belonging to a suspect still at large,’’ Babafemi said.
