A three-week intelligence operation exposed a syndicate hiding cocaine in palm kernel tins for export to the UK, leading to the arrest of a kingpin.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have successfully dismantled a drug trafficking syndicate following a high-stakes operation that lasted three weeks.
The breakthrough started at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. On Wednesday, March 11, 2026, officers intercepted a shipment containing 3.10 kilograms of cocaine.
The traffickers had gone to great lengths to hide their cargo. They meticulously concealed the illicit substance inside tins of palm kernel extract, which were destined for the United Kingdom.
Two suspects, identified as Idris Olayiwola Amoo and Akinlami Akinsoji Adedoyin, were arrested immediately at the airport export shed while handling the shipment.
Determined to cut off the head of the snake, the NDLEA launched a coordinated sting operation on Thursday, April 2. This led to the capture of the sender, Ezemuwo Joel, who had been operating under a fake identity.
His arrest provided the crucial link to the syndicate’s leader. Agents traced 52-year-old King Arinze to a hideout in the Isolo area of Lagos, where he was flushed out.
During a raid on his warehouse at Ola Ifa Street, Bucknor, the scale of the operation was revealed. Officers recovered 886 tins of palm kernel extract prepared for drug concealment.
They also found industrial tools, including a sealing machine and tin openers, alongside 52 grams of cannabis. The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, confirmed that the kingpin has confessed to personally draining the oil from the tins to hide the cocaine.
0 Comments