NDLEA dismantles drug cartels, seizes multibillion-naira worth of narcotics
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled several drug syndicates and seized large quantities of illicit substances across Nigeria.
The operations, carried out between November 17 and 22, highlight the agency’s commitment to eradicating drug trafficking in the country.
On Thursday, November 21, NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit arrested Ndive Maxwell Obinna, the 42-year-old head of a cocaine distribution cartel, along with five associates at Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos.
The operation resulted in the recovery of 2.412 kilograms of cocaine. Arrested alongside Obinna were Okeke Gloria Ifeoma, the syndicate’s stash keeper, and associates Ikechebelu Emmanuel Chibuzor, Okorie Onyedikachi, Okonkwo Nnabugo Prince, and Okafor Blessing Anita.
In a related operation, a trans-border drug trafficking syndicate led by a Chinese national, 58-year-old Tianzhen Yen (alias Jackie), was dismantled. Yen was arrested at a hotel in Ikeja following the interception of 750 grams of cocaine from a suspect en route to Ghana. A search of Yen’s hotel room yielded additional cocaine, methamphetamine, electronic weighing scales, and his Chinese national ID.
At the Tincan Seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives, in collaboration with Customs and other stakeholders, intercepted 92 parcels of Loud, a synthetic cannabis strain, weighing 23.25 kilograms. The drugs were concealed in two vehicles imported from Canada.
In Rivers State, joint operations at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex uncovered two containers of opioids. These included 168,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth ₦1.176 billion and 4.5 million tramadol pills valued at ₦3.15 billion, bringing the total haul to ₦4.326 billion.
In Ekiti, operatives arrested a 50-year-old physically challenged woman, Mustapha Boja, with 286 grams of Colorado and Loud strains of cannabis. Meanwhile, in Oyo, 64 kilograms of cannabis sativa were seized at Akinyele Motor Park, Ibadan.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers seized 1,200.5 kilograms of cannabis during raids. Significant hauls included 463.5 kilograms from Utese Forest and 507 kilograms from Owan Village. Three suspects were arrested during these operations.
In Kano, four suspects were arrested on the Zaria-Kano Road with 45 kilograms of cannabis. In Bauchi, Ayuba Umar Zaranda was nabbed with 124 kilograms of cannabis in Toro LGA.
Beyond enforcement, NDLEA intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns, delivering lectures to schools, workplaces, and communities across the country, including Katsina, Enugu, Kano, Rivers, and Ekiti states.
NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised the agency’s officers for their balanced approach to reducing drug supply and demand.
He highlighted their operational successes as critical in the fight against drug abuse in Nigeria.
