- Safiu Kehinde
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have burst two major drug cartels behind six different consignments of cocaine concealed in walls of stainless cups, crayfish, body cream, and hair gel containers.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, the cartels were dismantled with five suspects arrested following NDLEA’s interception of 174 parcels of cocaine weighing 13.40 kilograms and concealed in walls of cocoa butter body cream containers.
The consignment was intercepted on the 16th of September at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos
This led to the arrest of five suspects and ultimately the arrowhead of the syndicate, Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode who parades as a businessman and real estate developer.
At the discovery of the consignment, a cargo agent was initially arrested.
Further investigations would later reveal that Hammed is the mastermind of the shipment.
The NDLEA arrested the suspected drug baron in collaboration with the Nigerian Police Force where he had earlier reported a dispute at the Zone 2 headquarters of the Police in Lagos.
During his preliminary interview, Hammed admitted ownership of the consignment which he claimed he bought at over N150 million.
He claimed to be a businessman and estate developer following his return from the United Kingdom in 2024.
The suspect claimed to have lived for over 27 years in many European countries including Austria, Netherlands, France, Germany, and Saudi Arabia before settling in the UK.
In the same vein, five other desperate attempts by another criminal syndicate to export cocaine consignments to the United Kingdom were also thwarted by operatives of the MMIA Strategic Command of NDLEA.
The unravelling of the gang started on the 26th September following the seizure of 2.10kg cocaine concealed in walls of hair cream containers at the export shed of the Lagos airport.
NDLEA’s apprehension of a cargo agent led to the arrest of the consignor, Smith David Korede, a furniture maker.
Smith was nabbed last week Tuesday at his 3 Arowojobe street, Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos base where another consignment of 1.40kg cocaine meant for export to the UK was recovered from him.
Same day, another consignment of 1.00kg cocaine with similar mode of concealment also going to the UK was also intercepted at the export shed of the airport.
The cargo agent arrested in connection with the 1.00kg cocaine also identified Smith as the consignor, bringing to three the number of seized cocaine consignments linked to the suspect.
Two other cocaine laden consignments going to the UK were also intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the export shed of the MMIA on Thursday with two suspects: Ogunbiyi Oluseye Taiwo and Popoola Francis Olumuyiwa linked to the seizures promptly arrested.
One of the consignments contains crayfish, and 12 pieces of stainless cups used to conceal 1.00kg cocaine while the second consignment also contains crayfish, and 36 containers of hair cream used to conceal 1.60kg of cocaine.