Abba Kyari: NDLEA Reveals Alleged Drug Baron, Afam Ukatu Imported N22 Billion Tramadol Above Approved Threshold
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says Afam Ukatu, chairman of Mallinson group of companies and alleged drug baron, imported 1,284 cartons of tramadol into the country in October 2019 with market value of over N22 billion.
Recall 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.
The anti-drug agency said Utaku was arrested on a flight to Abuja from Lagos airport on April 13.
Giving an update on the arrest, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the agency has gathered evidence on how the billionaire imported tramadol brands far above the threshold permitted to be imported into Nigeria.
Babafemi, said a statement was issued 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.
Read Also: NDLEA Confirms Arrest Of Abba Kyari, 4 Policemen For Alleged Cocaine Deal
The statement reads;
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.
It understood that the approved milligram for tramadol is 50 and 100 while higher milligrams are prohibited.
Read Also: Cocaine Deal: NDLEA Files Eight Criminal Charges Against Abba Kyari, Six Others
The Agency said in the course of investigating the N3billion Tramadol saga between Ukatu and the Abba Kyari-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.
NDLEA added;
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.
