NDLEA uncovers drug cartel at Enugu airport

…declares two staff wanted

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered a suspected drug trafficking cartel at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu. 

Two officers of the agency, Daniel Goska and Ndubuisi Ughor, who were indicted and are currently at large had been summarily dismissed and declared wanted.
Other members of the group include Eddie Ifeanyichukwu Dayson, a key member of the drug trafficking organisation, Emmanuel Lucky Okorie, Operations manager with Ethiopian Airline, Amaechi Henry, a supervisor, passenger services department of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc and Ezeugwu Jacob who is a ticket and baggage employee at the airport.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the agency, Ahmadu Giade, while describing the mode of operation of the drug cartel as strange, promised to adhere to global best practice in drug control. “No bad egg in the agency will escape justice. Notwithstanding the strange way the cartel operates, I am pleased that it was exposed and ultimately dislodged.
The agency will continue to adopt superior drug control strategies in line with global best practice. This is one sweet victory over criminal groups. The NDLEA is committed to the eradication of narcotics from our country and will continue to look both inwards and outwards for subversive elements,” Giade stated.
The NDLEA boss said Goska and Ughor, who were currently at large, had been summarily dismissed and that efforts are ongoing to arrest and prosecute them. He added that although drug barons were desperate, the agency was committed to the dismantling of drug trafficking organisations in the country.
The activities of the group were exposed when narcotic officials aborted the exportation of 74.7kg of narcotic drug that tested positive to Ephedrine. The drug was packed in three bags. Two of the bags weighing 50.7kg were destined for Maputo, Mozambique, while the third bag weighing 24kg was prepared to go to Johannesburg, South Africa.
The 74.7kg of Ephedrine had been properly marked as exhibits and tendered as evidence before a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu. Preliminary investigation revealed that the drug cartel had infiltrated some members of the airport community including two NDLEA staff who are currently at large.
It was gathered from investigation that whenever the cartel had a consignment of drug, the airline operations manager would identify passengers on the flight whose bags were weighing less and tag the luggage in their names. Once this is done, they will contact their partners at the airport of final destination with the tag numbers to receive the consignments.