NDLEA arrests businessman for Ingesting 90 cocaine wraps, busts drug syndicates

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its fight against drug trafficking, with recent operations leading to multiple high-profile arrests and seizures across the country.

These include the apprehension of a businessman smuggling cocaine internally, the dismantling of two syndicates involving Nigerian and foreign operatives, and the interception of drugs worth over ₦4.3 billion at ports.

At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) in Enugu, NDLEA operatives arrested 50-year-old businessman, Osuoha Christian Iheanacho, who was found to have ingested 90 wraps of cocaine weighing 2.019 kilograms. Osuoha was intercepted on November 20 during passenger screening on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa.

Following weeks of surveillance, Osuoha, who operates a phone accessories business in Lagos and Gabon, revealed he had taken a complex travel route to evade detection. He claimed financial hardship drove him to the illegal trade.

In Lagos, two major drug syndicates were neutralized. On November 21, a Special Operations Unit arrested Ndive Maxwell Obinna, the head of a cocaine distribution network, along with five associates in the Ago Palace Way area of Isolo. Recovered items included 2.412 kilograms of cocaine.

Separately, NDLEA arrested a 58-year-old Chinese national, Tianzhen Yen (alias Jackie), believed to lead a trans-border syndicate. Yen was apprehended in Ikeja following the seizure of 750 grams of cocaine from a suspect en route to Ghana. Searches of his hotel room uncovered drugs and weighing equipment.

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At Tincan and Onne Ports, the NDLEA intercepted opioids valued at over ₦4.3 billion. This included 168,000 bottles of codeine syrup and 4.5 million tramadol pills during joint operations with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies.

In coordinated efforts, NDLEA seized over 1,900 kilograms of cannabis in Ekiti, Oyo, Edo, and Kano states. Notably, a 50-year-old physically challenged woman was arrested with cannabis strains in Ikere-Ekiti, and substantial amounts were recovered in forest operations and urban raids in Edo State.

Beyond enforcement, NDLEA continued its “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) campaign, engaging communities, schools, and workplaces in Katsina, Enugu, Rivers, and Ekiti states to raise awareness about drug abuse and its consequences.

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), NDLEA Chairman, commended the dedication of officers in achieving these successes. He emphasized the agency’s dual focus on reducing drug supply and demand as key to its strategy.

These operations underscore NDLEA’s commitment to curbing drug trafficking and fostering a drug-free Nigeria.