NDLEA officials disguised as customers to arrest online drug traffickers

Chinazor Megbolu

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the weekend said it has arrested ten suspected online drug traffickers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The NDLEA spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday noted the organisation arrested the suspects following their undercover operation in the course of the week.

The statement stressed that one Miss Ese Patrick, who was accused of running an illicit drug business on Instagram was arrested during the operation.

Babafemi posited that Patrick, a 28-year-old lady was picked up alongside her boyfriend as they brought deliveries for undercover NDLEA operatives who had ordered the drugs online.

He buttressed that the NDLEA, however raided Patrick’s residence and “confiscated 400 grams of Arizona weed”, which she allegedly uses in baking the brownies.

The statement further declared that Mr. Peter Nkejika, another suspect, was also arrested on May 24, 2021 after his despatch rider was picked up with “N510,000 worth of Loud”, a highly psychoactive variant of cannabis.

Another, whose name is Dolapo Benjamin, was apprehended and said to be the owner of five motorcycles used in distributing the drugs as allerged.

The NDLEA hinted further that it seized drugs weighing 105.5 kilograms in a luxury bus and arrested three persons in connection with the illicit substance in Gwagwalada.

Moreover, the statement said the organisation also confiscated drugs that were being transported to New Zealand and the United Arab Emirate in Lagos.

“The agency has 445 grams of Methamphetamine going to New Zealand and concealed inside USB chargers and hair attachments, with another 450 grams of cannabis Sativa going to UAE and concealed inside local soap containers at a courier company in Lagos,” the statement said