By Ibironka Aryo
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disrupted the activities of a drug syndicate operating between Nigeria, East Africa and Europe, with the arrest of two members of the cartel.
Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said NDLEA operatives at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos made the arrest and foiled the drug trafficking attempts.
He said operatives at the Lagos airport on Monday, March 13, intercepted a member of the drug syndicate, Ejezie Ifeanyi, during screening of passengers on an Ethiopian Airline flight from Malawi via Addis Ababa at the arrival hall.
Babafemi added that he was searched, saying it was discovered that one of his two bags had a false hidden bottom.
He said: “During the preliminary interview with the suspect, he admitted that a union member was waiting in the airport parking lot to pick him up.
According to him, an immediate follow-up operation led to the arrest of Franco Chukwu, who was waiting in a gray colored Mercedes Benz C180 coupe, marked EKY 973 GQ to receive the drug shipment.
“After his arrest, an orderly search of the bag was carried out in front of the two suspects, which found 3.00 kilograms of heroin.
“The findings revealed that drug syndicate networks operate between Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique in East Africa and Europe.
“Chukwu who lives in Lagos is responsible for recruiting and coordinating the activities of the mules on behalf of other cartel members based in Mozambique and Malawi, another group operating from the south-eastern part of Nigeria,” Babafemi said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani
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