By IBIRONKE ARIYO

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two drug kingpins, Victor Nwosa and Felix Obiegbu for drug trafficking.

This is contained in a statement by the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja.

Babafemi said that the suspects were arrested by operatives of a Special Operations Unit (SOU) of the NDLEA.

This, he said, was after consignments of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine being prepared for export to Europe and beyond were recovered from their Lagos homes.

This, he added, were following weeks of intelligence and surveillance on their criminal networks.

Babafemi, however, said that the 64-year-old Nwosa paraded himself as a successful textile merchant, adding that 49-year-old Obiegbu was known to many as a businessman who was into wine distribution.

According to him, beneath their outward appearance is their hidden illicit drug business unearthed by NDLEA operatives after months of intelligence gathering on the two syndicates led by them.

“At the time they were preparing their consignments for export, NDLEA-SOU operatives who had for months put them under surveillance, swooped on them in different parts of Lagos. .

“Nwosa was arrested on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at his 16 Femi Kila street, Okota home where 4.33 kilograms of heroin and 448 grams of cocaine were recovered during a search of his house.

“In his case, Obiegbu was arrested on Thursday 11th September at his 5 Shada Shonefun street, Aguda Surulere home where in the course of a search, 2.902 kilograms of methamphetamine were uncovered and seized,”he said.

Meanwhile, Babafemi said that NDLEA operatives stopped attempts by suspected suppliers of illicit drugs to terrorists and bandits in Borno and Yobe to move illicit drugs concealed in the engine compartment of a Mercedes Benz jeep.

Babafemi also said that a lady’s travelling bag was also intercepted by NDLEA operatives on stop and search operations in the two states.

According to him, in Borno, following weeks of intelligence, NDLEA officers on Saturday, Sept. 2 l arrested Kaka Ibrahim, 26, at Njimtilo village while driving a Mercedes Benz GLK marked JRE 987 AE towards Damaturu road.

“A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 39, 380 pills of tramadol 225mg and exol-5 stuffed in the engine compartment of the jeep.

“The same day in Yobe state, NDLEA operatives intercepted a lady Halima Adamu along Damaturu-Maiduguri road.

“This is where 39 parcels of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 1.4kg were found concealed inside the casing of her travelling bag.

“A swift follow up operation led to the arrest of another lady linked to the consignment, Habiba Muhammad, at her Baga road, Maiduguri home,” he said. (NAN)