The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted various quantities of ephedrine concealed in semovita packs being shipped to South Africa through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State.
The consignments were being shipped by the members of Transnational Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO), some of whom were arrested by the NDLEA officers.
Luxury vehicles belonging to the DTO members were seized following a raid on their mansions by the officers of the anti-drug agency.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, September 3, 2023.
Babafemi noted that the anti-narcotics officers, through credible intelligence on Friday, August 25, intercepted a notorious drug trafficker, Suleiman Babatunde Oba, who is a member of a cartel distributing cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and ephedrine between Nigeria, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mozambique, and Europe.
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He stated that Suleiman was arrested while attempting to board a Rwanda Air flight to South Africa with two boxes loaded with ephedrine sealed in semovita packs, saying the recovered substance was a precursor chemical and active ingredient in the production of methamphetamine.
The NDLEA spokesman added: “In his statement, Suleiman who holds a South African passport, married to a South African lady, and has lived there for over 20 years, identified Hakeem Babatunde Salami who equally lives in Lagos and South Africa as the head of the drug ring.
“A follow-up raid in the house of Salami located at 75 Wosilatu Dawodu Street, Ijesha, Aguda area of Surulere, Lagos on Monday 28th August revealed that he had fled the country on the same day Suleiman was arrested.
“However, a white Toyota Venza car with registration number LSR 410 HT, a Mercedes Benz SUV marked LSD 998HP, phones, and vital documents needed for further investigation were recovered from the house.”
Babafemi disclosed that the NDLEA had, in August 2021, seized 25.60kg ephedrine from a trafficker, Arua Emmanuel Onwuka, at the Lagos airport.
He said the seizure was traced to the same cartel whose identified members are currently on the run, adding that an official of the airport, Godwin Shedrack, popularly known as Goddy, fingered as a member of the syndicate is also under investigation.
In his reaction, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers of the agency for their efforts in drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction activities and charged them to remain steadfast.
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