NDLEA busts Cocaine warehouse, seizes N194bn worth of crack in Lagos

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have busted a major warehouse in a secluded estate in Ikorodu area of Lagos State, where over N194 billion worth of crack were seized.

Its Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

An online publication, Ark Behavioral Health Editorial Team, described Cocaine as “a powerful stimulant drug that can make you feel extremely happy and energized. Some healthcare providers use it as an anesthetic before surgery.

“In most cases, though, Cocaine is considered an illegal drug.

“Street dealers often mix powdered cocaine with water and baking soda and boil the mixture into a solid, rock-like substance called ‘crack Cocaine’ or just ‘crack.”

Babafemi said that the illicit drugs, which was 1.8 tons (1,855 kilogrammes) worth more than Two Hundred and Seventy-Eight Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($278, 250,000).

He said that it was an equivalent of about One Hundred and Ninety-Four Billion, Seven Hundred and Seventy-Five Million (N194, 775,000,000) Naira in a street value.

The NDLEA spokesperson said that the seizures appeared to be “the biggest singular Cocaine seizure in the history of Nigeria’s premier anti-narcotic agency”.

According to him, at least, four drug barons, including a Jamaican and the warehouse manager have been arrested.

“This was done in a well-coordinated and intelligence -led operation that lasted two days across different locations in Lagos State,”

“Kingpins of the Cocaine cartel in custody.

“They are all members of an international drug syndicate that the agency has been trailing since 2018,” Babafemi said.

He said that the warehouse, raided by the NDLEA operatives on Sept.18, was located in Solebo Estate, Ikorodu.

The NDLEA spokesperson said that the barons were picked from their hotels and hideouts in different parts of Lagos, between Sunday night and Monday morning.

“Preliminary investigation reveals the class ‘A’ drugs were warehoused in the residential estate, from where the cartel was trying to sell them to buyers in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world.

“They were stored in 10 travel bags and 13 drums,” he said.

Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, Retired, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, as commending all the officers and men of the agency involved in the extensive investigation.

This, Marwa said included those of the American Drug Enforcement Administration, (US-DEA).

He said the bust was a historical blow to the drug cartels and a strong warning.

“They will all go down if they failed to realise that the game had changed,” Marwa warned.