By BASHIR ADEFAKA
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a consignment of 26.150kgs of heroin with a street value of over ₦6.5bn at the SAHCO shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
This was made known in a statement made available to The DEFENDER on Sunday by the Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi.
The illicit drug had arrived in Lagos in 25 parcels from South Africa through an Air peace Airline flight on 30 June 2021 and was detained for screening following reasonable suspicion of the content of the consignment
The agency’s Spokesman, Babafemi, said in Abuja that a follow-up operation was subsequently carried out the following day, 1st July when narcotics officers of the MMIA command trailed the driver and a clearing agent that were assigned to deliver the consignment to the house of a baron, Tony Chidi Onwurolu, at No. 132 Lateef Adegboyega Street, off Ago Palace way by Grandmate bus stop Okota, Lagos.
“During the follow-up operation, Tony Chidi Onwurolu, who obviously mounted a counter-surveillance around his neighbourhood, fled his home before the arrival of the team of operatives who stormed his residence.
“They were however able to search his home and recovered a number of documents to establish his true identity,” Babafemi said.
Following the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has directed that the fleeing drug baron be declared wanted immediately and his details submitted to Interpol for tracking across the world.
He also directed the agency’s Directorate of Assets and Financial Investigations as well as the Directorate of Intelligence to deploy their networks to fast track the arrest of Onwurolu.
General Marwa said in view of the volume of heroin brought into the country by the fleeing baron, the agency would deploy all available mechanisms, locally and internationally, to track him and bring him to face charges in the law court.
“Those who have been on the run for 10 years and some for five years, we have since tracked them and are now facing charges while cooling their heels behind bars.
“The latest one won’t be an exception, because he can only run but can’t hide for too long before we get him,” Marwa said.
