By IBIRONKE ARIYO

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA) has declared a couple, Kazeem Owoalade (alias Abdul Balogun) and Rashidat Owoalade (alias Rashidat Bolarinwa), who allegedly runs a cocaine cartel from India wanted.

The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

He added that the agency declared the couple wanted following the arrest of four members of the syndicate in Lagos.

Babafemi said that a Sports Utility Vehicle was recovered and two houses already traced to them sealed for forfeiture to the Federal Government.

He said that two members of the syndicate: Taofeek Imran and Ishola Isiaka, were arrested on April 3, 2024.

This, he said, followed 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.

“Investigation has now revealed Alhaji Kazeem Owoalade whose Indian residence permit bears Abdul Balogun based in India,” he said.

Babafemi said that efforts to dismantle his network in Nigeria paid off after five weeks of surveillance and follow up operations.

This, he said, was when another member of the syndicate, Hamed Saheed, who worked directly with the baron was arrested on Tuesday at Abule Egba area of Lagos.

“It was indeed Saheed who lodged Imran in a hotel a day before his aborted trip to Oman and equally dropped him and Ishola at the Lagos airport the day they were arrested.

“During a search of Saheed house, NDLEA operatives recovered some phenacetin, 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.

“This was where another suspect was arrested and a new model Toyota RAV4 SUV marked FKJ-773 JJ belonging to Rashidat and additional 400 grams of Cocaine recovered.

“This is also in addition to already prepared suitcases to be used for illicit drug concealment, digital weighing scales and other paraphernalia,” he said. (NAN)

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