NDLEA Stops N6.5bn Heroin At Lagos Airport

A consignment of 26.150kilograms of heroin with a street value of over N6.5billion has been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the SAHCO shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

The Agency disclosed this on Sunday in a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters, which was obtained by Prime Business Africa.

According to Babafemi, the illicit drug which arrived Lagos in 25 parcels from South Africa through an Airpeace Airline flight on 30th June, 2021, was detained for screening following suspicion of the content of the consignment.

He said that a follow-up operation was subsequently carried out July 1, the following day when narcotic officers of the Muritala Mohammed International Airport command trailed the clearing agent and driver that were both assigned to deliver the shipment to the house of alleged drug baron, Tony Chidi Onwurolu at Okota, in Lagos.

The NDLEA spokesperson said that the said Tony Chidi ran away after sighting the operatives with the aid of surveillance camera he mounted in his neighborhood, but the officials were able to search his home and some got documents that revealed his true identity.

Following the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), was said to have directed that the fleeing drug baron, Onwurolu, be declared wanted immediately and his details be submitted to Interpol for tracking across the world, according to the statement.

The statement said the NDLEA boss directed the agency’s Directorate of Assets, Financial Investigations and also the Directorate of Intelligence to deploy all available tactics, locally and internationally to track and bring Tony to face the law.

“Those who have been on the run for 10 years and some for five years, we have since tracked them and are now facing charges while cooling their heels behind bars. The latest one wont be an exception, because he can only run but cant hide for too long before we get him,” Marwa was quoted to have vowed.