NDLEA uncovers drugcartel 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