India-bound Businessman Arrested with 9.4kg of Heroin at Lagos Airport

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a businessman, Kingsley Celestino at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, with 9.4 kilogrammes of heroin concealed in false bottoms of his two travelling bags.
A statement yesterday, by the spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi revealed that Celestino, a business class passenger on Qatar Airline flight was arrested at Terminal 2 of the MMIA last Saturday, on his way to India.

Though a Nigerian, the 49-year-old was travelling with a Guinean international passport.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect has frequently traveled to India on business class tickets. Celestino, who claimed he deals in clothing business between Nigeria and India, was gathered to have obtained the Guinean international passport in Guinea Bissau, his mother’s country,” it added.
Babafemi also disclosed that a 24-year-old passenger travelling to Oman, Etounu Monday, was intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, during the outward clearance of Ethiopian Airline flight ET 950 while attempting to export 1.92 kilogrammes of skunk concealed in cream tubes.

The spokesman also disclosed that at the Tincan seaport, Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Friday recovered 244 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 79 kilogrammes concealed in medium size wooden sound system speakers packed inside two out of four used vehicles in a container marked CRSU9258348 coming from Toronto via Montreal, Canada, adding that the imported vehicles used as cover for the drugs are a 2009 Jeep Wrangler and a 2009 Honda Ridgeline.
“Similarly, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation, DOGI, attached to courier firms in Lagos intercepted a consignment of nine parcels of methamphetamine concealed in native black soap, Dudu Osun, heading to Europe.

“No fewer than 778,190 pills of pharmaceutical opioids including tramadol and a drum of 270 kilogrammes methylene chloride were recovered by operatives from a suspect, Eric Yohanna, 33, in Jalingo, Taraba state last Monday following credible intelligence. Also seized from him is a Daylong tricycle used in distributing the illicit substances,” the statement added.

Babafemi pointed out that in Adamawa State, the house of a wanted notorious drug dealer, Mamudu Njobdi at Sebore, Gyalla road Dougada ward, Mubi was raided in the early hours of last Monday, where he was arrested and drug exhibits recovered.

The statement disclosed that the 31-year-old suspect was earlier arrested on Wednesday 22nd February at his drug joint in Kolere water board but mobilized thugs to attack NDLEA officers and in the process escaped with exhibits.

“A suspect, Geoffrey Okpani, 31, was arrested at Bukuru area of Jos, Plateau state with 27.45 kilogrammes of cannabis, Ajayi Tope, 30, was arrested on Saturday 4th March at Area 5 Ile-Ife, in Ife south local government area of Osun state with 18 kilogrammes of same substance.

“In Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Friday raided De-Niche Hotel & Suites, Omole estate, Ojodu Ikeja where 24 suspects were arrested and different quantities of illicit drugs recovered from them,” the statement added.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) while reacting to the arrests and seizures of the past week, commended the officers, men and women of MMIA, NAIA, Tincan, Taraba, Adamawa, Plateau, Osun and Lagos Commands as well as DOGI for their efforts, however charged them and their counterparts across the country to intensify the ongoing mop up operations to deny political thugs access to illicit substances ahead of the Governorship and House of Assembly elections this weekend.