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NDLEA, EFCC seize fake $269,000 cash, raze cannabis warehouse

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in collaboration with operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Thursday, through intelligence received from the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States, busted a criminal syndicate involved in the trafficking of fake United States dollar notes and recovered a total of $269,000 counterfeit at Oniru in the Shoprite area of Lekki, Lagos State, where three suspects were arrested.

Meanwhile, the NDLEA operatives also dealt a lethal blow to a cluster of cannabis syndicates operating in the Opuje forests in Edo State, where massive warehouses and tents storing over 317,417kg of the psychoactive substance were destroyed and set ablaze, while four suspects were arrested in a two-day operation.

The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, revealed this in a statement on Saturday.

This comes a few days after the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), vowed to make life tough for drug barons and cartels in the new year.

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Babafemi said a police impersonator, Omoruan Theophilus, 37, who paraded as a police inspector to convey the drugs from the forests to the cities, and three others Aigberuan Jacob, 42, Ekeinde Zaza, 53, and Naomi Ohiewere, 42, were arrested in connection with the drugs.

He noted that the Opuje community in Owan West Local Government Area, Edo State, is notorious for cannabis cultivation, adding that cartels invest huge resources in the area, cutting down economic trees of the forest reserves and cultivating cannabis on a large scale, running into hundreds of hectares.

He added that after harvest, they build warehouses inside the forest reserves and employ the services of armed youths to protect the warehouses 24/7.

Babafemi said, “Accessing the forest on Wednesday, January 18, took hours of trekking by hundreds of NDLEA operatives who were ambushed with bonfire by armed youths on their way out of the community the following day but were able to successfully leave the area without any casualty except the heavy investment losses inflicted on the cartels.

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“While commending all the officers involved in the two special operations in Edo and Lagos for their professionalism and commitment, Marwa has since directed that the fake dollars recovered and the suspects arrested in the Lekki operation be immediately transferred to the EFCC for possible prosecution.”

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Nigerian arrested over alleged sex crimes in US, faces deportation

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A 53-year-old Nigerian, Olatunde Olusanjo, has been arrested in Los Angeles by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over alleged sexual offences.

According to ICE, Olusanjo was arrested on April 21, 2026, by its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) unit and is currently in its custody pending deportation proceedings.

In a social media post by its Los Angeles office, the agency linked his arrest to prior criminal allegations, including child molestation, sexual battery and sexual solicitation.

It described Olusanjo as a “criminal alien and convicted sex offender”.

“Los Angeles ERO arrested Olatunde Abiodun Olusanjo, 53, of Nigeria, Apr. 21,” the statement reads.

“Olusanjo has previous arrests for child molestation, sexual battery and soliciting lewd conduct. He is in ICE custody pending removal.”

The arrest comes amid continued enforcement actions by US  authorities against foreign nationals with prior criminal records.

In recent years, several Nigerians have been arrested and prosecuted in the US for offences ranging from cybercrime to violent and sexual-related charges.

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In February, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it had arrested 79 Nigerians described as among the “worst of the worst” criminal offenders.

The suspects faced allegations ranging from sexual assault, fraud, manslaughter, cocaine smuggling, kidnapping, and robbery.

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Thai Police find N67m, cocaine in Nigerian suspect’s home

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Operatives of the Thailand Police have arrested Nigerian national, Nwaiwu Ifeanyi, following the discovery of approximately 1.5 million baht (over N67 million) hidden in the ceiling of his bathroom during a late-night raid.

The operation, carried out over the weekend, also led to the arrest of three other individuals believed to be connected to the same drug distribution network.

Authorities reportedly recovered cocaine, cash, a vehicle, and valuable jewellery during the raid.

According to details from Khaosod English, investigators had been monitoring the suspect’s activities before apprehending him near Silom Soi 1. At the point of arrest, officers allegedly found about 27 grams of cocaine in his possession.

The other suspects taken into custody include a Swiss national, Thomas Giubibini, alongside two Thai nationals identified as Thanayot Asawamethi and Nattawat Wangkitjinda. All are facing charges related to drug possession.

In total, authorities said they seized roughly 30 grams of cocaine, cash amounting to 1.5 million baht, additional foreign currency worth about 15,000 baht, and jewellery estimated at 400,000 baht.

See also  NDLEA intercepts 1,430kgs cannabis in LNG truck

Investigators disclosed that Ifeanyi had lived in Thailand for over 17 years under a family visa obtained through a Thai spouse. However, officials now suspect the marriage may have been arranged to facilitate his stay and operations.

Police further alleged that the suspect coordinated drug transactions through encrypted messaging platforms, which officers were able to infiltrate before making the arrests. He reportedly resisted arrest but was subdued, after which he is said to have admitted involvement in the illicit activities.

The arrest comes amid ongoing efforts by Thai authorities to clamp down on drug trafficking networks. It also follows a recent case involving another Nigerian, Ukoma Nuzbech, who was earlier arrested for allegedly evading trial in a separate drug-related case.

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NDLEA intercepts UK-bound Cocaine, Loud concealed in food flasks, snacks

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted cocaine concealed in food flasks bound for the United Kingdom.

According to a statement signed by the Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, the interception took place on April 9, 2026, leading to the arrest of two cargo agents, Ama Obinna Ufeim, 33, and Ogabi Monday Akorede, 39.

The agency disclosed that 12 large parcels of cocaine weighing 2.80 kilograms were discovered hidden in the false bottom of food flasks at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos.

The illicit consignment was scheduled for shipment via a Virgin Atlantic flight to the UK.

Further investigations identified the sender as a 52-year-old freight forwarder, Agoro Tajudeen Moninuola, who was subsequently apprehended.

In a separate operation at the airport’s import shed, NDLEA officers on April 8 intercepted 2.90 kilograms of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, concealed in snack food packs arriving from the United States aboard a Delta Air Lines flight.

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Two clearing agents, Animashaun Moshood Adetunji and Mercy Gabriel Oluwasegun, were initially arrested, while the consignee, 29-year-old fashion designer Saheed Adeshina Adegoke, was later nabbed at his residence in Ogba, Lagos.

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