The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully thwarted what it deemed the largest heroin shipment at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State. In an operation on February 12, 2024, the agency apprehended members of an organized criminal group with expertise in trafficking heroin across Nigeria, South Africa, Mozambique, Europe, and America. The seized consignment weighed a staggering 51.90 kilograms.
Chairman of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, revealed these details during a press briefing in Lagos on Tuesday. Marwa highlighted that this operation marked the most significant heroin seizure at the airport to date. The illicit substances were cunningly hidden within 15 cartons labeled as 2300-watt metal cutting machines.
Marwa drew a parallel between this recent interception and the historic seizure on September 18, 2022, when 2,139.5 kilograms of cocaine were discovered in a warehouse in the Ikorodu area of the state. He emphasized that the September 2022 event was the most substantial singular cocaine seizure in NDLEA’s history.
Following the recent heroin interception, NDLEA operatives conducted a meticulous follow-up operation, leading to the arrest of four cartel members. The investigation started with the apprehension of the freight agent, Olowolagba Wasiu Babatunde, who was responsible for clearing services. Further inquiries revealed that Babatunde was engaged by Mattpee Logistics, a company operated by a certain Mr. Kola residing in South Africa.
