Weeks after the arrest of alleged billionaire drug baron, Chief Afam Mallinson Ukatu, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has revealed that the current investigation has led to the discovery of how the suspect allegedly imported over N22billion drugs into Nigeria in a single month.
NDLEA reveal that in October 2019, two containers containing 1,284 cartons of Tramadol with market value of over N22billion were imported by the alleged drug baron.
WithinNigeria recalls that the anti-narcotic agency had on Wednesday, April 12, arrested the alleged billionaire drug baron behind the N3billion Tramadol deal involving the embattled suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari-led Intelligence Response Team, IRT. Read here.
Spokesperson of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said a statement was issued today May 3, to counter insinuations by some hirelings that NDLEA has no evidence to pin a crime on Ukatu, who is the Chairman/CEO of Mallinson Group of companies.
”After months of surveillance, Ukatu was eventually arrested on board a flight to Abuja at the MM2 terminal of the Lagos airport, Ikeja on Wednesday 13th April.
Investigations reveal he’s been a major importer of large consignments of different brands and high dosages of Tramadol Hydrochloride, ranging from 120mg, 200mg, 225mg and 250mg, all of which are illicit. Ukatu owns pharmaceutical and plastic manufacturing companies, which he used as a cover to import illicit drugs into Nigeria.
The Agency said in the course of investigating the N3billion Tramadol saga between Ukatu and the Abba Kyaris IRT team, its operatives have unearthed more evidences establishing how Ukatu has been importing large quantities of Tramadol far above the approved threshold allowed into the country.
In one instance, Ukatu through his Mallinson Group of companies imported into the country two-conatiner loads of five different brands of Tramadol in October 2019 through the Apapa ports in Lagos. All the evidences so far gathered show that the imported Tramadol brands were far above the threshold permitted to be imported into Nigeria.”
The statement added that the suspect will soon have his day in court