NDLEA uncovers drug cartel in Enugu Airport
The National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency (NDLEA) on Friday said it has
uncovered a suspected drug trafficking
cartel at the Akanu Ibiam International
Airport (AIIA) Enugu.
This is contained in a statement issued
by the agency’s spokesperson in Lagos,
Mr Mitchel Ofoyeju, which was made
available to the News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN).
According to the statement, two officers
of the agency, Daniel Goska and
Ndubuisi Ughor, who are indicted and
currently at large, have been summarily
dismissed and declared wanted.
“Other suspected members of the group
include Ifeanyichukwu Dayson, a key
member of the drug trafficking
organisation, and Emmanuel Okorie an
Operations manager with Ethiopian
Airline,’’ it stated.
It said one Henry Amaechi, a Supervisor,
Passenger Service Department of
Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc
and Jacob Ezeugwu a ticket and baggage
staff at the airport were among the
suspects.
The statement quoted the NDLEA
Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, who
described the mode of operation of the
drug cartel as strange, as promising to
adhere to global best practice in drug
control.
“No bad egg in the agency will escape
justice. Notwithstanding the strange way
the cartel operates, I am pleased that it
was exposed and ultimately dislodged.
“The Agency will continue to adopt
superior drug control strategies in line
with global best practice.
“This is one sweet victory over criminal
groups.
“The NDLEA is committed to the
eradication of narcotics from our
country and will continue to look both
inwards and outwards for subversive
elements,” Giade stated.
He also added that although drug barons
were desperate, the agency was
committed to dismantling of drug
trafficking organisations in the country.
The statement also stated that the
activities of the group were exposed
when narcotic officials aborted the
exportation of 74.7kg of narcotic drug
that tested positive for Ephedrine.
“The drug was packed in three bags. Two
of the bags weighing 50.7kg were
destined for Maputo, Mozambique while
the third bag weighing 24kg was
destined for Johannesburg, South Africa.
“The 74.7kg of Ephedrine had been
properly marked as exhibits and
tendered as evidence before a Federal
High Court sitting in Enugu.
“It was gathered from investigation that
whenever the cartel had a consignment
of drug, the airline operations manager
will identify passengers on the flight
whose bags are weighing less and tag the
luggage in their names.
“Once this is done, they will contact their
partners at the airport of final
destination with the tag numbers to
receive the consignments.
“These findings were further
corroborated by the statements of the
innocent passengers whose names were
used to tag the bags containing the
74.7kg of Ephedrine.
“When invited for questioning, it was
discovered that they had no knowledge
of the bags tagged in their names,” the
statement stated.
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