The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has smashed two major cocaine cartels responsible for six UK-bound shipments of the illicit drug, arresting the syndicate’s arrowhead, Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode, and five accomplices.
In coordinated operations spanning three weeks across Lagos, operatives uncovered 20.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in stainless cups, body cream, and hair gel containers. Ode, who claimed to be a businessman and real estate developer, was apprehended after intelligence linked him to a 13.4kg cocaine shipment intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).
A parallel operation led to the arrest of Smith David Korede, a furniture maker, and others behind additional UK-bound consignments, while two suspects, Ogunbiyi Oluseye Taiwo and Popoola Francis Olumuyiwa, were also arrested over similar concealments in crayfish and hair cream containers.
NDLEA operatives further intercepted multiple drug shipments across states, including 6.3kg Loud cannabis from Thailand, 290,450 pills of Tramadol in Kano, and 24,897kg of skunk destroyed in Edo and Osun forests.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers for their professionalism, reaffirming that the agency will continue to “target and dismantle every identified drug cartel at every level of their operations.”
