NDLEA discovers 143m pills of Tramadol 225mg in 720 cartons of sweets, declare celebrity couple, cleric wanted
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disclosed that during an operation it conducted in collaboration with operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), last Friday discovered 143 million pills of Tramadol 225mg concealed inside 720 cartons of sweets loaded in two containers, said to have been imported from India.
According to the agency, the discovery followed credible intelligence and cooperation of sister agencies.
A statement confirming the bust issued by NDLEA’s spokesperson, Mr Femi Babafemi, also disclosed that the agency has declared a popular prophetess and founder of Christ Power Adoration Ministries, based in Port-Harcourt Rivers State Southern Nigeria Faith Ugochi wanted over seized illicit drugs.
NDLEA said the celebrity couple Igho Ubiribo and Danielle Simba Allen was wanted for recruiting teenage girls into drug trafficking while they serve as the arrowheads of an international syndicate operating from Los Angeles, USA.
BabaFemi said operatives of the agency at the NAHCO import shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos intercepted a consignment of 32.70 kilograms of Loud, a strong variant of cannabis concealed in cartons of used wears on Wednesday 16th November 2022.
He said, a freight agent, Ukoh Ifeanyi Oguguo was immediately arrested while further investigations led to the arrest of four more suspects.
They are Chikodi Favour, Obiyom Shalom Chiamaka, Nnochiri Chidinma Promise and Edward Omatseye (aka Montana).
Babafemi said NDLEA has sought and obtained an order of the Federal High Court Lagos to declare wanted the celebrity couple: Ubiribo Igho and Danielle Allen, as the arrowheads of the illicit trade as well as Prophetess Faith Ugochi, who recruits teenage girls as sales representatives for the duo.
Also, in another major bust, the NDLEA said it has along with other stakeholders, including the Nigeria Customs Service on Friday 31st March conducted a joint examination of two containers marked TRHU 4758549 and TRHU 6936803 where 143 million pills of Tramadol 225mg were discovered in 720 cartons.
He said, the opioid pills, mixed with cartons of sweets were imported from India adding that the interception followed credible intelligence and cooperation of sister agencies.
“In another development, officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations, DOGI, have intercepted at a courier firm a cargo of 1.5kg cocaine concealed in a carton declared to contain hair cream, shampoo, hair rollers and burners, going to London, United Kingdom.
“The NDLEA’S operatives have seized hard drugs and arrested suspects in Kaduna, Cross-River, Ondo and Abuja the Federal Capital Territory,” the statement read.
