A drug baron accused of being behind the N3 billion Tramadol deal involving the police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by the embattled police officer, Abba Kyari-led has been arrested.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it arrested Afam Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu after months of surveillance.
According to a press release, he was apprehended on board a flight to Abuja at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos on Wednesday.
“Ukatu became a wanted man after five cartons of Tramadol 225mg were seized from his staff on 4th May 2021 when he sent them to sell to undercover police officers (unknown to Ukatu) from the then Kyari-led IRT of the Nigeria Police, Ikeja Lagos,” the statement read.
“After the arrest of Ukatu's staff: Pius Enidom and Sunday Ibekwete, Kyari’s men were then led by the suspects to Mallinson's warehouse at Ojota in Lagos where 197 additional cartons of Tramadol 225mg were seized by the IRT Team.
“The monetary value of the 202 cartons of Tramadol seized from Mallinson in one day was over N3billion.
“Three weeks after the seizure, the Kyari’s IRT team transferred only 12 Cartons of the Tramadol with one truck and a suspect to the Lagos Command of the NDLEA, leaving 190 cartons unaccounted for.
“After over eight months of following the lead, anti-narcotic officers of the Agency eventually arrested Ukatu at the Lagos airport on 13th April 2022,” according to the press release signed by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s director of media and publicity.
Kyari and four top members of his team are facing trial for a different offense at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The NDLEA says Chief Ukatu owns pharmaceutical and plastic manufacturing companies which he uses as a cover to import illicit drugs.
He’s also reported to own 103 bank accounts, most of which are used to launder money.
