Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 50-year-old businessman, Osuoha Christian Iheanacho, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for ingesting 90 wraps of cocaine.
The suspect, who allegedly sought to save his failing phone and accessories business, was apprehended on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, upon arrival from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, revealed in a statement on Sunday that the arrest followed months of intelligence gathering and surveillance on Osuoha.
He disclosed that the suspect, who operates businesses in Lagos and Gabon, had devised a convoluted travel route to evade detection.
According to the agency, Osuoha traveled by road from Gabon to Douala, Cameroon, where he boarded a flight to Addis Ababa.
While in transit, he ingested the 90 cocaine pellets, weighing 2.019 kilograms, before continuing his journey to Enugu, with Lagos as his final destination.
Babafemi said, “He deliberately complicated his movement to distort traces of his travel history, unknown to him that he has been on the NDLEA watchlist for the past three months.”
Upon his interception at the Enugu airport, Osuoha was placed under excretion observation and subsequently egested the drug pellets in seven sessions.
During questioning, he confessed to engaging in the illicit act to secure funds for his declining business.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives conducted a coordinated operation on Thursday, November 21, leading to the arrest of a suspected cocaine distribution cartel leader, 42-year-old Ndive Maxwell Obinna, and five of his associates in Lagos.
The operation, carried out by a Special Operations Unit of the agency, took place at Ago Palace Way in Okota, Isolo. A total of 2.412 kilograms of cocaine were recovered during the raid.
Babafemi identified other members of the cartel as Okeke Gloria Ifeoma, who served as the syndicate’s stash keeper; Ikechebelu Emmanuel Chibuzor; Okorie Onyedikachi; Okonkwo Nnabugo Prince; and Okafor Blessing Anita.
The NDLEA reiterated its commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks across the country and urged citizens to cooperate by providing timely information to support the agency’s efforts.
The arrest of Osuoha and the Lagos cartel members underscores the increasing sophistication of drug trafficking operations and the NDLEA’s resolve to combat them.
With drug-related crimes often fueling other criminal activities, the agency’s vigilance remains critical to safeguarding public safety and national security.
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