BIGPENNGR.COM reports that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency had in early hours of Monday announced the arrest of the suspected billionaire drug baron, identified as Chief Afam Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu who has been on watch list for months.
According to the anti-narcotic agency, Ukatu arrest followed months of surveillance and evasion of arrest.
He is identified as Chairman of Mallinson Group of Companies operating 103 bank accounts, most of which are used to launder money.
Ukatu was arrested onboard a flight to Abuja at the MM2 terminal of the Lagos airport, Ikeja on Wednesday 13th April.
Spokesman of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, gave a graphic details of his arrest in a statement titled, ‘NDLEA arrests drug baron behind N3billion Tramadol linked to Abba Kyaris team’, on Monday.
Babafemi said investigations revealed that the suspect is a major importer of large consignments of different brands and high dosages of Tramadol Hydrochloride.
The statement read, “This is in addition to operating 103 bank accounts, most of which are used to launder money.
“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 N17million each as against the then black market value that ranged between N18million and N20million a carton in Lagos.
“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. Kyari and four top members of his team are already facing trial for a different but similar offence at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
