NDLEA declares couple wanted, arrests 4 cartel members over cocaine seizures
A couple, Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade, aka Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun and Rashidat Ayinke Owoalade 
aka Bolarinwa Rashidat Ayinke), who allegedly runs a cocaine cartel from India has been declared wanted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), following the arrest of four members of the syndicate in Lagos State and a Sports Utility Vehicle was recovered and two houses traced to them sealed for forfeiture to the Federal Government.
The Agency’s Spokesperson, Mr. Femi Babafemi in a statement yesterday said two members of the syndicate: Imran Taofeek Olalekan and Ishola Isiaka Olalekan were arrested on April 3, 2024 following their bid to export 3.40kg cocaine on a Qatar Airlines flight going to Oman through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos.
While Imran was the courier conveying the drug consignment to Oman, Ishola recruited him for the head of the cartel, which investigation has now revealed to be Alhaji Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade, based in India, whose Indian residence permit bears Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun.
Babafemi said efforts to dismantle his network in Nigeria paid off after five weeks of surveillance and follow up operations when another member of the syndicate, Hamed Abimbola Saheed who works directly with the suspected baron was arrested on Tuesday, May 14, at Abule Egba area of Lagos.
During a search of Hamed’s house, NDLEA operatives recovered some phenacetine, a cutting agent for Cocaine, weighing 900 grams. He confessed that the recovered substance was what was left of the consignment Imran was taking to Oman the day he was arrested.
His arrest led to a follow up operation at the home of the Owoalade couple at 20, Eyiaro Street, Ogudu Orioke, Lagos where another suspect was arrested and a new model Toyota RAV4, SUV, marked FKJ-773 JJ belonging to Rashidat and an additional 400 grams of Cocaine recovered in addition to already prepared suitcases to be used for illicit drug concealment, digital weighing scales and other paraphernalia.
In the same vein, NDLEA officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations (DOGI), attached to a courier firm in Lagos on Wednesday May 15, intercepted two parcels, containing Cocaine and Amphetamine concealed in steel bolts and shea butter. While the cocaine weighing 587 grams, was concealed in eight steel bolt screws going to China, the Amphetamine consignment packed in vape pens and hidden in shea butter was going to the United Kingdom.
Attempt by Emeka Nwadiaro (a.k.a Mega) to export 3.6kg Loud, a strain of cannabis concealed in 36 water flasks to Dubai, UAE was also thwarted at a logistic company in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Thursday, May 16, while a swift follow up operation led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Emeka Nwadiaro in Onitsha, Anambra State same day.
While NDLEA operatives in Lagos intercepted a Mercedes Benz bus loaded with 840kg cannabis and arrested the driver, Samuel Henry, at Olojo, in Ojo LGA, Lagos, another suspect, Lawal Adam was nabbed along Otukpo Road, Aliade, Benue State on Friday, May 17, with 75,000 pills of opioids including tramadol and exol-5.
Two suspects: Olisa Etisi, 32, and Jonathan Umeh, 25, were arrested along Owerri – Onitsha road, Imo State following the discovery by NDLEA operatives of a big gas cylinder used to conceal six blocks of Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 3.85kg.
