NDLEA operatives arrest India-bound businessman with heroin at Lagos airport
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a self-acclaimed businessman, Kingsley Celestino, with over 9.40kg of heroin concealed in false bottoms of his two travelling bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
Kingsley who boarded a business class seat of Qatar Airways was arrested at Terminal 2 of the MMIA on Saturday, March 4, on his way to India.
The 49-year-old suspect, a native of Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, was travelling with a Guinean international passport.
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In a statement issued by the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday Kingsley claims he sells clothes in Nigeria and India.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect frequently travels to India on business class tickets. He claimed he deals in the clothing business between Nigeria and India. It was further established that he obtained the Guinean international passport in Guinea Bissau, where he said his mother came from,” Babafemi said.
“In the same vein, a 24-year-old passenger travelling to Oman, Etounu Monday, was intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Monday, February 27, during the outward clearance of Ethiopian Airline flight ET 950 while attempting to export 1.924kg of skunk concealed in cream tubes.”
Elsewhere, at the Tincan seaport, Lagos, the NDLEA operatives on Friday, March 3, recovered 244 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 79 kilograms 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.
Similarly, the NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, attached to courier firms in Lagos intercepted a consignment of nine parcels of methamphetamine concealed in native black soap, Dudu Osun, heading to Europe.
Babafemi also noted that no fewer than 778,190 pills of pharmaceutical opioids including tramadol and a drum of 270kg Methylene Chloride were recovered by operatives from a suspect, Eric Pepe Yohanna, 33, in Jalingo, Taraba State, on Monday, February 27, following credible intelligence. Also seized from him is a Daylong tricycle used in distributing the illicit substances.
In Adamawa State, the house of a wanted notorious drug dealer, Mamudu Njobdi, at Sebore, Gyalla road Dougada ward, Mubi was raided in the early hours of Monday, February 27, where the suspect was arrested and drug exhibits were recovered.
The 31-year-old suspect was earlier arrested on Wednesday, February 22, at his drug joint in Kolere water board but mobilised thugs to attack the 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, March 4, at Area 5 Ile-Ife, in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State with 18kg of the same substance.
In Lagos, the NDLEA operatives on Friday, March 3 raided De-Niche Hotel & Suites, Omole Estate, Ojodu Ikeja where 24 suspects were arrested and different quantities of illicit drugs recovered from them.
