Photo: NDLEA Cracks Down On Drug Syndicate, Declares Couple Wanted

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) conducted a successful operation in Lagos, resulting in the arrest of four syndicate members. 

Naijaonpoint gathered that a Sports Utility Vehicle was seized during the raid, and authorities moved to forfeit two houses associated with the suspects to the federal government.

In light of this development, the NDLEA has identified a couple, Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade (alias Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun) and Rashidat Ayinke Owoalade (alias Bolarinwa Rashidat Ayinke), as wanted individuals for their alleged involvement in a cocaine cartel based in India.

Among the apprehended members of the syndicate are Imran Taofeek Olalekan and Ishola Isiaka Olalekan, who were detained on April 3, 2024, while attempting to smuggle 3.40kg of cocaine on a Qatar Airlines flight bound for Oman via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja, Lagos.

NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi said, “While Imran was the courier conveying the drug consignment to Oman, Ishola recruited him for the head of the cartel, which investigation has now revealed to be Alhaji Kazeem Owoalade whose Indian residence permit bears Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun based in India.

“Efforts to dismantle his network in Nigeria paid off after five weeks of surveillance and follow-up operations when another member of the syndicate, Hamed Abimbola Saheed, who works directly with the baron, was arrested on Tuesday, May 14 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.”

Babafemi stated that Hammed’s arrest prompted a subsequent operation at the Owoalade couple’s residence in Lagos. 

During this operation, another suspect was apprehended, and various items were seized, including a Toyota RAV4 SUV owned by Rashidat, 400 grams of cocaine, prepared suitcases for drug concealment, digital weighing scales, and related paraphernalia.