India-Bound Businessman Arrested With Heroin At Lagos Airport, 24 Others Nabbed With Illicit Drugs In Hotel
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested an India-bound businessman identified as Kingsley Celestino, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos over 9.40 kg of heroin concealed in false bottoms of his travelling bags.
According to a statement by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Celestino, a business class passenger on a Qatar Airline flight was arrested at Terminal 2 of the MMIA on Saturday while on his way to India.
The 49-year-old businessman who hails from Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State in the South-East region of Nigeria was travelling with a Guinean passport.
Babafemi stated that preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect frequently travels to India on business class tickets, as he claimed that he deals in the clothing business and travels between Nigeria and India. It was further established that he obtained the Guinean passport in Guinea Bissau, where he said his mother came from.
Similarly, operatives of the anti-narcotic agency intercepted a 24-year-old passenger identified as Etounu Monday, who was travelling to Oman.
Monday was intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Monday, February 27, 2023, during the outward clearance of Ethiopian Airline flight ET 950 while attempting to export 1.924kg of skunk concealed in cream tubes.
Also, Babafemi stated that at Tincan seaport, Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday recovered 244 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 79 kg concealed in medium size wooden sound system speakers packed inside two out of four used vehicles in a container marked CRSU9258348 coming from Toronto via Montreal, Canada.
The imported vehicles used as cover for the drugs are a 2009 Jeep Wrangler and a 2009 Honda Ridgeline.
In the same vein, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), attached to courier firms in Lagos state, intercepted a consignment of nine parcels of methamphetamine concealed in native black soap, Dudu Osun, heading to Europe.
He further revealed that no fewer than 78,190 pills of pharmaceutical opioids including tramadol and a drum of 270kg Methylene Chloride were recovered by the NDLEA operatives from a 33-year-old Eric Pepe Yohanna, in Jalingo, Taraba state on Monday, February 27, 2023, following credible intelligence.
Also seized from him is a tricycle allegedly used in distributing the illicit substances.
Also in Adamawa state, operatives of the NDLEA raided the house of a wanted notorious drug dealer, Mamudu Njobdi at Sebore, Gyalla Road, Dougada ward, Mubi in the early hours of Monday, February 27, where he was arrested. Some drug exhibits were recovered from him.
“The 31-year-old suspect was earlier arrested on Wednesday, 22nd February at his drug joint in Kolere water board but mobilized thugs to attack NDLEA officers and in the process escaped with exhibits.
“While a suspect, Geoffrey Okpani, 31, was arrested at Bukuru area of Jos, Plateau state with 27.45kg of cannabis, Ajayi Tope, 30, was arrested on Saturday 4th, March at Area 5 Ile-lfe, in Ife south local government area of Osun state with 18kg of the same substance.
“In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday, 3 March raided De-Niche Hotel & Suites, Omole Estate, Ojodu, Ikeja where 24 suspects were arrested and different quantities of illicit drugs recovered from them.
“Reacting to the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd.) commended the officers, men and women of MMIA, NAIA, Tincan, Taraba, Adamawa, Plateau, Osun and Lagos Commands as well as DOGI for their efforts.
“He charged them and their counterparts across the country to intensify the ongoing mop-up operations to deny political thugs access to illicit substances ahead of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections this weekend,” Babafemi added.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested an India-bound businessman identified as Kingsley Celestino, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos over 9.40 kg of heroin concealed in false bottoms of his travelling bags.
According to a statement by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Celestino, a business class passenger on a Qatar Airline flight was arrested at Terminal 2 of the MMIA on Saturday while on his way to India.
The 49-year-old businessman who hails from Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State in the South-East region of Nigeria was travelling with a Guinean passport.
Babafemi stated that preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect frequently travels to India on business class tickets, as he claimed that he deals in the clothing business and travels between Nigeria and India. It was further established that he obtained the Guinean passport in Guinea Bissau, where he said his mother came from.
Similarly, operatives of the anti-narcotic agency intercepted a 24-year-old passenger identified as Etounu Monday, who was travelling to Oman.
Monday was intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Monday, February 27, 2023, during the outward clearance of Ethiopian Airline flight ET 950 while attempting to export 1.924kg of skunk concealed in cream tubes.
Also, Babafemi stated that at Tincan seaport, Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday recovered 244 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 79 kg concealed in medium size wooden sound system speakers packed inside two out of four used vehicles in a container marked CRSU9258348 coming from Toronto via Montreal, Canada.
The imported vehicles used as cover for the drugs are a 2009 Jeep Wrangler and a 2009 Honda Ridgeline.
In the same vein, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), attached to courier firms in Lagos state, intercepted a consignment of nine parcels of methamphetamine concealed in native black soap, Dudu Osun, heading to Europe.
He further revealed that no fewer than 78,190 pills of pharmaceutical opioids including tramadol and a drum of 270kg Methylene Chloride were recovered by the NDLEA operatives from a 33-year-old Eric Pepe Yohanna, in Jalingo, Taraba state on Monday, February 27, 2023, following credible intelligence.
Also seized from him is a tricycle allegedly used in distributing the illicit substances.
Also in Adamawa state, operatives of the NDLEA raided the house of a wanted notorious drug dealer, Mamudu Njobdi at Sebore, Gyalla Road, Dougada ward, Mubi in the early hours of Monday, February 27, where he was arrested. Some drug exhibits were recovered from him.
“The 31-year-old suspect was earlier arrested on Wednesday, 22nd February at his drug joint in Kolere water board but mobilized thugs to attack NDLEA officers and in the process escaped with exhibits.
“While a suspect, Geoffrey Okpani, 31, was arrested at Bukuru area of Jos, Plateau state with 27.45kg of cannabis, Ajayi Tope, 30, was arrested on Saturday 4th, March at Area 5 Ile-lfe, in Ife south local government area of Osun state with 18kg of the same substance.
“In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday, 3 March raided De-Niche Hotel & Suites, Omole Estate, Ojodu, Ikeja where 24 suspects were arrested and different quantities of illicit drugs recovered from them.
“Reacting to the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd.) commended the officers, men and women of MMIA, NAIA, Tincan, Taraba, Adamawa, Plateau, Osun and Lagos Commands as well as DOGI for their efforts.
“He charged them and their counterparts across the country to intensify the ongoing mop-up operations to deny political thugs access to illicit substances ahead of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections this weekend,” Babafemi added.
