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Intercepts Drug Syndicate in Osun Forest
- Safiu Kehinde
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA0 has nabbed a wanted drug baron, Frank Ibemesi, alias Chisco Bee, after weeks of intelligence and surveillance on his alleged criminal activities.
Ibemesi, who operates under the cover of a businessman and hotelier, was arrested by operatives of a Special Operations Unit of the NDLEA.
As disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the 42-year-old suspect who is the MD/CEO of Franc CJ Ibemesi Nig Ltd was arrested at his Daisy Garden Hotel, 66-68 Agbeke street, Ago palace way, Isolo Lagos in the early hours of Saturday.
He was taken to his warehouse at 7 Pius Ezeobi street off Ago place way, Isolo where 42 jumbo bags and four cartoons of Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 1,762.8 kilograms were recovered.
Also seized from him at the point of his arrest include: $11,600 US dollars; 2,000 British Pounds; 2,200 Euros and 50 Canadian dollars, all in cash.
In a separate operation, the NDLEA intercepted attempt by a drug syndicate operating at Orita-Apeje, Araromi-Okeodo forest reserve, Ife South LGA, Osun state to load and distribute across the country large quantities of processed skunk, a strain of cannabis.
The consignment weighing a total of 11,135 kilograms was thwarted last week Tuesday by the NDLEA operatives after days of surveillance in the forest.
According to Babafemi. two trucks being used to transport the illicit consignments: a Volvo truck marked WWR 29 XA and a Mercedes truck with registration number AWK 713 YZ were seized and seven suspects arrested.
Those in custody in connection with the seizure are: Lucky Abiodun; Julius Amos; Victor Ngbikili; Sunday Oduegwu; Ibrahim Akanni; Eze Godstime; and Fred Ifeanyichukwu.
In the same vein, a total of 1,902.1 kilograms of skunk were recovered in parts of Edo state.
While 184.1kg was recovered along a bush path at Oza/Igbanke road, Igbanke, in Orhionmwon LGA on Thursday, 672kg was evacuated from Utese forest, Ovia North East LGA on Friday.
The NDLEA operatives would recover another 494kg from a Mercedes Benz car marked DE311BEN along Benin-Akure road where a 45-year-old suspect, Felix Edah, 45, was arrested same day.
Another suspect, Lucky Abagha, 51, was nabbed in another Mercedes Benz car marked JJJ 56 JW conveying 552kg.