CRACKING DOWN ON A DRUG RING, NDLEA ARRESTS 10, SEIZES HEROIN WORTH N10 BILLION

Babatunji Wusu –

According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), a syndicate operating on three continents brought in the largest-ever cargo of heroin, which was intercepted by NDLEA officers.

According to the release, agents carried out a thorough nine-day operation during which they detained ten individuals, blocked 109 bank accounts, seized N119 million, and sealed properties, including mansions and hotels, in the Ago Palace Way neighborhood of Lagos.

The details of the operation were disclosed by Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), the chief of the NDLEA, during a media briefing in Lagos.

According to Marwa, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) successfully seized 51.90 kg of premium Class A drugs that were cleverly hidden inside cutting machines and meant to be delivered to a drug cartel-controlled warehouse in the Ipaja district.

The drugs, with a street value of about £100,000 per kilogram, are believed to be worth £5,190,000 in total. At the current conversion rate of N1,997.3 to the pound, this works out to N10,365,987,000. This information was revealed by The Nation.

Marwa described the latest big raid as yet another historic victory in the fight against drug trafficking, drawing parallels with a prior huge seizure in Ikorodu and outlining the strategies used by NDLEA agents, particularly emphasizing the critical role sniffer dogs play in locating the substances being smuggled.

In addition, Marwa stated that the NDLEA has begun corresponding with its South African counterpart in an effort to apprehend the leaders of the cartel, who are thought to be situated in both South Africa and Mozambique. This underscores the importance of international cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking.