The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has declared a suspected drug baron, Tony Onwurolu in connection with the interception of 26.150 kilogrammes of Heroin consignment at the Skyway Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport(MMIA), Lagos.
The according to the NDLEA the frug with a street value of over N6.5 billion was intercepted on arrival in Lagos in 25 parcels from South Africa through an Air Peace Airline flight on June 30, 2021.
The consignment from South Africa was screened following reasonable suspicion of its content, with a follow-up operation subsequently carried out the following day,July 2021.
According to the NDLEA image maker, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, the follow-up operation by the narcotic officers of the MMIA Command, who trailed the driver and a clearing agent that were assigned to deliver the consignment, led them to the house of a baron, Onwurolu, at No. 132 Lateef Adegboyega Street, off Ago Palace Way by Grandmate bus stop Okota, Lagos.
Babafemi explained that during the follow-up operation, Onwurolu, who obviously mounted a counter-surveillance around his neighbourhood, fled his home before the arrival of the team of operatives, who stormed his residence.
He further explained that at the suspect house, the team from the NDLEA was able to search his house and recovered a number of documents to establish Onwurolu’s true identity.
Babafemi said having been briefed of the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), immediately directed that the fleeing drug baron be declared wanted and his details submitted to Interpol for tracking across the world.
The NDLEA spokesman said that Marwa also directed the agency’s Directorate of Assets and Financial Investigations, as well as the Directorate of Intelligence to deploy their networks to fast-track the arrest of the fleeing baron.
Marwa directed that considering the volume of Heroine brought into the country by the fleeing baron, the agency would deploy all available mechanisms, locally and internationally, to track him and bring him to face charges in the law court.
“Those who have been on the run for 10 years and some for five years, we have since tracked them and are now facing charges while cooling their heels behind bars. The latest one won’t be an exception, because he can only run but can’t hide for too long before we get him, Marwa said.
Similarly, operatives at the MMIA Command has also intercepted a 4.3 kilogrammes of skunk imported from Canada.
Babafemi said the the intercepted package, came on Ethiopian Airline and was concealed in nine packs of cereals.
On July 92021, one Babatunde Bakare was intercepted by NDLEA operatives with 550 grammes of cannabis and 50 grammes of Rohypnol (Flunitrazepam) concealed in six jerry cans of local herbal mixtures called Gabo at SAHCO export shed, MMIA, Ikeja.
Babafemi said that the drug was detected during outward clearance of cargo going to Dubai.
The NDLEA Spokesman said that on Tuesday July 6, operatives of the MMIA Command, conducted a follow-up operation at Gate 2, Ladipo Oluwole Street, opposite Guinness Bottling Company, Ikeja, where one Animashaun Kabiru was apprehended for questioning about a bag containing bitter kola, which was brought for export to the UK.
He said when the bag of bitter kola was searched, it was discovered that the bitter kola were mixed with some wraps of a substance suspected to be illicit drug.
When 36 wraps of the suspected substance were later tested, they were found to be cocaine weighing 600 grammes.
Meanwhile, an Uber driver, Lawal Rasheed, arrested on 8th June 8,2021 in connection with the seizure of a cocaine consignment, has been released following his cooperation with NDLEA operatives which led to the arrest of the real owner of the drug, Mr. Egbo Maduka.
Maduka in his statement accepted ownership of the consignment and absolved Lawal of any complicity.
