NDLEA Nabs 60-Year-Old Drug Kingpin After 6-Year Chase, Seizes Massive Drug Haul Across Nigeria
In a major breakthrough, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a notorious 60-year-old drug kingpin who had been on the run since 2019, ending a six-year manhunt. The arrest took place on July 13 at the suspect’s hideout in Isheri, Lagos, following the interception of a large consignment of hard drugs.
NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, revealed in a statement that the suspect was attempting to distribute large quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine to the South-East region and other parts of Nigeria. A well-coordinated intelligence operation led to the early morning interception of a courier linked to the kingpin at Ilasamaja along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway. The suspect was traveling in a white Toyota Sienna bound for Onitsha, Anambra State.
NDLEA arrest Okpara Paul Chigozie
A sniffer dog search of the vehicle uncovered 7.6kg of cocaine and 900 grams of methamphetamine hidden in the body compartments. The NDLEA then launched a swift follow-up operation, raiding the kingpin’s residence and recovering another 1.8kg of cocaine and 1.3kg of methamphetamine.
In further coordinated actions, NDLEA operatives and Aviation Security personnel at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) intercepted 7,790 pills of tramadol and Rohypnol from an Italy-bound passenger traveling through Istanbul. The suspect confessed to purchasing the drugs to resell at inflated prices in Europe.
In another airport bust, 17 parcels of cannabis (skunk) weighing 1.70kg were found hidden in cereal packs destined for Pakistan, leading to yet another arrest.
Meanwhile, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Onitsha-Enugu expressway arrested a 30-year-old suspect in possession of 45,000 tramadol pills. On the same day in Taraba State, two suspects were nabbed in Gassol LGA with 10,000 tramadol capsules and cannabis.
These coordinated efforts reflect the NDLEA’s intensified war on drug trafficking, with high-profile arrests, international smuggling intercepts, and record seizures of illicit substances.
As Babafemi stated, these actions highlight the agency’s unwavering commitment to dismantling drug syndicates and cutting off their supply routes across Nigeria.
Comments
This post currently has no comments.