The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has declared a couple, Kazeem and Rashidat Owoalade, wanted for running a cocaine cartel from India.
This followed the arrest of four members of the syndicate in Lagos, where a Sports Utility Vehicle was recovered and two houses traced to them were sealed for forfeiture to the Federal Government.
The development was made known in a statement by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday.
The statement read, “A couple, Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade (alias Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun) and Rashidat Ayinke Owoalade (alias Bolarinwa Rashidat Ayinke), who runs a cocaine cartel from India has been declared wanted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency following the arrest of four members of the syndicate in Lagos.
“A Sports Utility Vehicle was recovered and two houses already traced to them were sealed for forfeiture to the Federal Government. Two members of the syndicate, Imran Olalekan and Ishola Olalekan, were arrested on April 3, 2024, following their bid to export 3.40kg cocaine on a Qatar Airlines flight going to Oman through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, in Ikeja, Lagos.
“While Imran was the courier conveying the drug consignment to Oman, Ishola recruited him for the head of the cartel, which investigation has now revealed to be Alhaji Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade whose Indian residence permit bears Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun based in India.
“Efforts to dismantle his network in Nigeria paid off after five weeks of surveillance and follow-up operations when another member of the syndicate, Hamed Abimbola Saheed, who works directly with the baron was arrested on Tuesday, May 14, at Abule Egba area of Lagos. It was indeed Saheed who lodged Imran in a hotel a day before his aborted trip to Oman and equally dropped him and Ishola at the Lagos airport the day they were arrested.”
During a search of Saheed’s house, the NDLEA operatives reportedly recovered some phenacetine, a cutting agent for cocaine, weighing 900 grams.
He was said to have confessed that the recovered substance was what was left of the consignment Imran was taking to Oman the day he was arrested.
It was gathered that his arrest led to a follow-up operation at the home of the Owoalade couple at 20, Eyiaro Street, Ogudu Orioke, Lagos, where another suspect was arrested and a new model Toyota RAV 4 SUV marked FKJ-773 JJ belonging to Rashidat and additional 400 grams of cocaine recovered in addition to already prepared suitcases to be used for illicit drug concealment, digital weighing scales, and other paraphernalia.
Babafemi added that the NDLEA officers also intercepted two parcels at a courier firm in Lagos on May 15.
The parcels contained 587g of cocaine hidden in steel bolts bound for China and amphetamine concealed in vape pens and shea butter heading to the UK.
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The statement added that an attempt to export 3.6kg of cannabis (loud strain) hidden in 36 water flasks to Dubai was foiled at a logistics company in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on May 16.
The owner of the consignment, Emeka Nwadiaro, aka Mega, was arrested in Onitsha, Anambra State, on the same day following a swift follow-up operation.
The statement added, “While the NDLEA operatives in Lagos intercepted a Mercedes Benz bus loaded with 840kg cannabis and arrested the driver, Samuel Henry, at Olojo in Ojo LGA, Lagos, another suspect, Lawal Adam was nabbed along Otukpo Road, Aliade, Benue State, on Friday, May 17, with 75,000 pills of opioids including tramadol and exol-5.
“Two suspects, Olisa Etisi, 32, and Jonathan Umeh, 25, were arrested along Owerri–Onitsha Road, Imo State, following the discovery by the NDLEA operatives of a big gas cylinder used to conceal six blocks of loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 3.85kg.
“In Borno State, 70-year-old Adamu Mohammed was arrested at Mbulamel, Biu LGA, on Thursday, May 16, with 2kg cannabis and 33.55grams of diazepam, while Gaddafi Sani, 27, was arrested with 30 kilograms of cannabis along Abuja-Kaduna road, Kaduna.”
The NDLEA spokesperson also said officers in Yobe State seized a large consignment of drugs from a petrol tanker on the Potiskum-Damaturu Road.
The drugs, which included 91.1kg of opioids and 13kg of cannabis, were hidden in secret compartments and were heading for Maiduguri, Borno State.
The driver, Ismaila Ali, was arrested in connection with the discovery.
In another development, the NDLEA also arrested four suspects in connection with the seizure of 2,025 pieces of improvised explosive device materials in Niger State.
Babafemi said two suspects, Abdulrauf Adeyemi, and Asmiyu Rahim, were arrested on the spot, while Husaini Abdullahi and Nazifi Abdullahi were arrested in Sokoto and Kano states respectively.
The suspects and the explosive materials were transferred to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.
In a separate operation, Muhammad Lawal was arrested in Katsina State with 1,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection.
Also, a total of 105kg cannabis was on Friday, May 17, recovered from a house in the Obola community, Owan West LG, Edo State, and a suspect, Gloria Oris, was arrested when NDLEA officers raided the area.
In Kwara State, two suspects, Abdulganiyu Karaman, 55, and Sunday Abel, 37, were on Saturday, May 18, arrested with 83kg of cannabis and tramadol at Boriya, Baruten LGA, and Offa respectively.
The NDLEA officers also recovered 105kg of cannabis from a house in the Obola community, Edo State, and arrested a suspect, Gloria Oris, on May 17. Additionally, two suspects, Abdulganiyu Karaman and Sunday Abel, were arrested in Kwara State on May 18, with 83kg of cannabis and tramadol.
