THISDAY

NDLEA Intercepts N6.5bn Heroin at Lagos Airport

- Michael Olugbode

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcemen­t Agency (NDLEA) have intercepte­d a consignmen­t of 26.150kilogra­mmes of heroin with a street value of over N6.5billion at the SAHCO shed of the Murtala Muhammed Internatio­nal Airport, (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

The illicit drug had arrived Lagos in 25 parcels from South Africa through an Air Peace Airline flight on June 30, 2021 and was detained for screening following reasonable suspicion of the content of the consignmen­t.

A follow-up operation was subsequent­ly carried out the following day, July 1, when narcotic officers of the MMIA command trailed the driver and a clearing agent that were assigned to deliver the consignmen­t to the house of a baron, Tony Chidi Onwurolu at No. 132 Lateef Adegboyega Street, off Ago palace way by Grandmate bus stop Okota, Lagos.

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.

They were, however, able to search his home and recover a number of documents to establish his true identity.

NDLEA spokespers­on, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said following the developmen­t, the chairman/ chief executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) has directed that the fleeing drug baron, Onwurolu, be declared wanted immediatel­y and his details submitted to INTERPOL for tracking across the world.

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 Onwurolu.

Marwa said in view of the volume of heroin brought into 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.

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