NDLEA Arrests Chinese National Linked To Trans-Border Drug Syndicate In Lagos, Uncovered 4.3 Grams Of Cocaine

Abuja, Nigeria- Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 58-year-old Chinese national, Tianzhen Yen, also known as Jackie, identified as a kingpin of a trans-border drug trafficking syndicate between Nigeria and Ghana.

It was gathered that Yen was arrested at MC Hotel, near Alade Market in Ikeja, Lagos.

Meanwhile, officers of the Seme Special Area Command intercepted a 40-year-old suspect, Yakubu Emmanuel Mark, at the Gbaji checkpoint on the Badagry-Seme expressway.

Mark was travelling in a commercial bus bound for Ghana when NDLEA agents, acting on credible intelligence, searched his belongings and discovered 750 grams of cocaine concealed in his bag.

Following the arrest, a swift follow-up operation led agents to MC Hotel, located behind Alade Market on Allen Avenue in Ikeja, where Yen was apprehended.

A search of his hotel room uncovered 4.3 grams of cocaine, one gram of methamphetamine, two electronic weighing scales, and his Chinese National Identification Number Card, among other incriminating items.

Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, confirmed the arrest in a statement released on Sunday.

Babafemi noted that Yen was apprehended in the vicinity of the hotel.

The statement read, “At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Friday 22nd November intercepted 92 parcels of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis with a combined weight of 23.25kg concealed in two vehicles imported from Canada: a Nissan car and a GMC bus. The discovery was made during a joint examination of a container from Canada by NDLEA officers, men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other stakeholders.

“In Rivers state, NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Ports complex, Onne, on Thursday 21st November intercepted two containers of imported opioids during a joint examination with men of Customs Service and other security agencies.

Babafemi explained that a total of 168,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth One Billion One Hundred and Seventy Six Million Naira (N1,176,000,000) only in street value, were recovered from one of the containers while the second one contains Four Million Five Hundred Thousand (4,500,000) pills of super royal tramadol 225mg valued at Three Billion One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N3,150,000,000) only, bringing the combined value of both the codeine and tramadol consignments to Four Billion Three Hundred and Twenty Six Million Naira (N4,326,000,000) only.

He said, in Ekiti state, NDLEA operatives on Sunday 17th November arrested a 50-year-old physically challenged woman, Mustapha Boja, with 286 grams of Colorado and Loud strains of cannabis at Araromi street, Ikere-Ekiti, while 64kg of cannabis sativa was recovered at Akinyele motor park, Ibadan, Oyo state on Thursday 21st November.

“Not less than 1,200.5 kilograms of same psychoactive substance were seized during raids by NDLEA officers in parts of Edo state. At Utese forest in Ovia North East LGA, 463.5kg was recovered on Thursday 21st November; while 507kg was seized at a compound in Owan village, Ovia LGA where the duo of David Ojo Ederin, 60, and Afoje Frank, 24, were arrested on Friday 22nd November. Another suspect, Godwin Okhoya, 40, was nabbed with 230kg of same substance at Okpuje, Owan West LGA.

It said, “In Kano, four suspects: Usman Sani, 25; Abdul Mohd, 28; Bunu Ali,27; and Umar Musa, 30, were on Tuesday 19th November arrested by NDLEA operatives at Gadar Tamburawa, Zaria- Kano road, with 100 blocks of cannabis weighing 45kg, while Ayuba Umar Zaranda, 55, was nabbed with 124kg cannabis at Pengana village, Toro LGA, Bauchi state.

“While commending the officers and men of AIIA, SIU,Tincan, Onne, Seme, Ekiti, Oyo, Kano, Bauchi, and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated,” Babafemi added.