Officers of the Special Operation Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have successfully dismantled a major drug cartel controlled by 49-year-old Kelechi Monday Nwaobasi and his 50-year-old sister, Ms. Chinwe Rose Nwaobasi.
The operation, which took place on June 13th and 14th, 2024, in Aba, Abia State, resulted in the seizure of cocaine and methamphetamine consignments worth over N4.1 billion in street value.
According to a statement by the NDLEA Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the special operation at 3B, Boundary Avenue, Aba, and a residence along Ohia Road, Ohia, Abia State, followed months of intelligence gathering. It led to the arrest of the ring leaders and the seizure of 20.76 kilograms of cocaine and methamphetamine.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives in Lagos uncovered a warehouse stocked with a large consignment of codeine-based syrup at Comfort Oboh area of Kirikiri.
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During an intelligence-led raid on June 10th, four persons connected with the importation and distribution of the opioid were arrested, and 82,000 bottles worth more than N600 million in street value were recovered, along with vehicles used for distribution.
Additional arrests and seizures of tramadol and other opioids were made in subsequent operations in Lagos and other states.
Further operations in Kano, Jigawa, Ogun, Edo, Ekiti, Abuja, Benue, Anambra, and Kwara States resulted in significant arrests and the destruction of large quantities of cannabis and other narcotics. Notably, 10,534.78 kilograms of cannabis were destroyed on farmland in Edo State, and 18,425 kilograms were destroyed in Ekiti State.
NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers for their operational successes and urged them to continue their efforts in drug supply reduction and demand reduction activities.
