A couple, Alhaji Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade (alias Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun) and Rashidat Ayinke Owoalade (alias Bolarinwa Rashidat Ayinke), has been declared wanted by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
The couple allegedly runs a cocaine cartel from India. They were declared wanted following the arrest of four members of their cartel in Lagos where a Sports Utility Vehicle was recovered and two houses that were traced to them were sealed for forfeiture to the Federal Government.
Two members of the syndicate — Imran Taofeek Olalekan and Ishola Isiaka Olalekan — were arrested on April 3, 2024 as they attempted to export 3.40kg cocaine on a Qatar Airlines flight going to Oman through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
While Imran was the alleged courier conveying the drug consignment to Oman, Ishola reportedly recruited him for the head of the cartel, which investigation has now revealed to be Kazeem Omogoriola Owoalade whose Indian residence permit bears Abdul Qassim Adisa Balogun.
Efforts to dismantle his network in Nigeria reportedly paid off after five weeks of surveillance and follow-up operations when another suspected member of the syndicate, Hamed Abimbola Saheed who worked directly with the baron, was arrested on Tuesday 14th May at Abule Egba area of Lagos.
NDLEA alleged that it was Saheed who lodged Imran in a hotel a day before his aborted trip to Oman and had also dropped Imran and Ishola at the Lagos airport the day they were arrested.
During a search of Hamed house, NDLEA said, operatives allegedly recovered some phenacetine, a cutting agent for cocaine, weighing 900 grams.
Hamed was said to have confessed that the recovered substance was what was left of the consignment Imran was taking to Oman the day he was arrested.
His arrest led to a follow-up operation at the home of the Owoalade couple at 20, Eyiaro Street, Ogudu Orioke, Lagos, where another suspect was arrested and a new model Toyota RAV4 SUV marked FKJ-773 JJ belonging to Rashidat and additional 400 grams of cocaine were recovered. This was in addition to the already prepared suitcases to be used for illicit drug concealment, digital weighing scales and other paraphernalia, NDLEA said.
