•••Busts Drug Syndicate Operated by Chinese
By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), have arrested a 50-year-old businessman identified as Osuoha Christian Iheanacho, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, for ingesting 90 wraps of cocaine.
This was revealed in a statement by the agency’s Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi on Sunday.
Osuoha was intercepted on Nov. 20 at the arrival hall of the Enugu Airport during the inbound screening of passengers arriving from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on an Ethiopian airline flight following months of intelligence and surveillance on him.
He was subsequently placed on excretion observation during which he excreted 90 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.019 kilograms in seven excretions
Investigation reveals that the suspect operates phone and accessories business in Lagos and Gabon, Central Africa.
He travelled by road from Gabon to Douala, Cameroon from where he took a flight to Addis Ababa where he swallowed the pellets of cocaine while in transit and thereafter continued his journey to Enugu with Lagos as his final destination.
He deliberately complicated his movement to distort traces of his travel history, without knowing that he has been on NDLEA watchlist for the past three months.
Osuoha said he desperately needed the money from the criminal drug trade to boost his declining phone and accessories business.
Babafemi also said the agency
banned the head of a cocaine distribution cartel, 42-year-old Ndive Maxwell Obinna with five of his associates at Ago Palace Way in Okota, Isolo, Lagos in another well-coordinated operation on Thursday 21st November,
A total of 2.412 kilograms of cocaine were recovered from them.
He listed other members of the drug trafficking organization arrested along Obinna to include Okeke Gloria Ifeoma who is the syndicate’s stash keeper; Ikechebelu Emmanuel Chibuzor; Okorie Onyedikachi; Okonkwo Nnabugo Prince; and Okafor Blessing Anita.
Babafemi added that another drug syndicate operated by a Chinese man, 58-year-old Tianzhen Yen (alias Jackie) was dismantled by operatives following his arrest at his hotel in Ikeja area of Lagos.
He said, “Officers of the Seme Special Area Command of the Agency had on Thursday 21st November intercepted a 40-year-old suspect, Yakubu Emmanuel Mark in a commercial bus going to Ghana at the Gbaji checkpoint along Badagry-Seme expressway based on credible intelligence.
“When he was searched, a total of 750grams of cocaine were found in his bag. A swift follow up operation was organized to trace and arrest the kingpin behind the trans-border drug trafficking syndicate, who turned out to be a Chinese citizen, Tianzhen Yen. He was eventually traced to MC Hotel behind Alade market, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos. When his hotel room was searched, 4.3grams of cocaine; a gram of methamphetamine; two electronic weighing scales; and Chinese National Identification Number Card, among other exhibits were recovered while he was arrested in the vicinity of the hotel.”
