The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested Nigerian millionaire drug baron, Chief Afam Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu, linked to the N3 billion tramadol transaction involving embattled suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Abba Kyari. ayokinews.com reports
The apprehension was disclosed by NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, in a statement issued to the public on Monday, April 25. He stated that the suspect was finally apprehended after months of surveillance and evasion of arrests.
According to agency, Ukatu, the Chairman of Mallinson Group of Companies, was apprehended on a flight to Abuja on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, at the MM2 terminal of the Lagos airport, Ikeja.
The NDLEA spokesman added that Ukatu is a big importer of massive consignments of different brands and high doses of Tramadol Hydrochloride, and that he is the drug baron behind the N3 billion tramadol scandal related to Kyari and his associates.
Babafemi added that Utaku runs pharmaceutical and plastic manufacturing enterprises, which he utilized as a front to move illegal substances into Nigeria.
The statement read: “This is in addition to operating 103 bank accounts, most of which are used to launder money.
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“Ukatu came under watch last year 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 price of a carton of Tramadol was negotiated at N17 million each as against the then black market value that ranged between N18 million and N20 million a carton in Lagos.
“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 N3 billion.
“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.”
Follow the successful apprehension, the NDLEA will be arraigning Utaku alongside Abba Kyari and other associates who are currently on trial in a Federal High Court in Abuja for a separate but similar offense.
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