Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a billionaire drug baron Afam Mallinson Emmanuel Ukatu. He is behind the N3 billion Tramadol deal involving the embattled suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari-led Intelligence Response Team, (IRT), the Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi confirmed in a statement on Monday.
“After months of surveillance and evading arrest, Ukatu who is Chairman of Mallinson Group of Companies was eventually nabbed onboard a flight to Abuja at the MM2 terminal of the Lagos airport, Ikeja on Wednesday 13th April,” he explained. “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.
“This is in addition to operating 103 bank accounts, most of which are used to launder money.” Mr Babafemi noted that the drug baron 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, the NDLEA spokesman added.
