NDLEA arrests Kingsley Celestino
Businessman, others arrested with 9.40kg heroin, 1.924kg of skunk at Lagos, Abuja airports
Anti-narcotic agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), says its operatives have arrested a Nigerian businessman, identified as Kingsley Celestino, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, in Lagos with over 9.40 kilograms of heroin concealed in false bottoms of his two travelling bags.
According to the NDLEA, Kingsley, a business class passenger on Qatar Airline flight was arrested at Terminal 2 of the MMIA on Saturday, March 4 on his way to India.
The NDLEA, in statement signed by its Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, further disclosed that the 49-year-old Kingsley, though a native of Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, was travelling with a Guinean passport.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect frequently travels to India on business class tickets. He claimed he deals in clothing business between Nigeria and India. It was further established that he obtained the Guinean international passport in Guinea Bissau, where he said his mother came from,” the statement read.
The NDLEA said other arrests were made in the country, as it disclosed that a 24-year-old passenger travelling to the Gulf country of Oman, Etounu Monday, was intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja on Monday, February 27, during the outward clearance of Ethiopian Airline flight ET 950 while attempting to export 1.924kg of skunk concealed in cream tubes.
“At the Tincan seaport, Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday 3rd March, recovered 244 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 79 kilograms concealed in medium size wooden sound system speakers packed inside two out of four used vehicles in a container marked CRSU9258348 coming from Toronto via Montreal, Canada.
“The imported vehicles used as cover for the drugs are a 2009 Jeep Wrangler and a 2009 Honda Ridgeline.
“Similarly, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, attached to courier firms in Lagos intercepted a consignment of nine parcels of methamphetamine concealed in native black soap, Dudu Osun, heading to Europe.
“No fewer than 778,190 pills of pharmaceutical opioids including tramadol and a drum of 270kg Methylene Chloride were recovered by operatives from a suspect, Eric Pepe Yohanna, 33, in Jalingo, Taraba state on Monday 27th Feb following credible intelligence. Also seized from him is a Daylong tricycle used in distributing the illicit substances,” the agency said.
In other operations across the country, the NDLEA spokesperson said in AAdamawa state, ‘the house of a wanted notorious drug dealer, Mamudu Njobdi at Sebore, Gyalla road Dougada ward, Mubi was raided in the early hours of Monday 27th Feb where he was arrested and drug exhibits recovered.’
“The 31-year-old suspect was earlier arrested on Wednesday 22nd Feb at his drug joint in Kolere water board but mobilized thugs to attack NDLEA officers and in the process escaped with exhibits.
“While a suspect, Geoffrey Okpani, 31, was arrested at Bukuru area of Jos, Plateau state with 27.45kg of cannabis, Ajayi Tope, 30, was arrested on Saturday 4th March at Area 5 Ile-Ife, in Ife south local government area of Osun state with 18kg of same substance.
“In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday 3rd March raided De-Niche Hotel & Suites, Omole estate, Ojodu Ikeja where 24 suspects were arrested and different quantities of illicit drugs recovered from them,” the NDLEA report read.
