US embassy cable - 05LAGOS1581

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 001581 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEA FOR OI,OID, OE,OEE, OSE, SARI 
SECSTATE FOR INL/LP,AF/W 
POST FOR DEA RD AND ARD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: NI, PGOV, PINR, SNAR 
SUBJECT: GFUP-06-9259/NIGERIA; INTERNATIONAL CONTROLLED 
DELIVERY OF 7 KILOGRAMS OF HEROIN 
 
REF: LAGOS 01527 
 
 1. (SBU) SUMMARY. On October 11, DEA Attache (CA) Sam Gaye 
and British Drug Liaison Officer (DLO) Jon King in 
conjunction with Togolese authorities, conducted a successful 
international controlled delivery (ICD) of 7 kilograms of 
heroin in Lome, Togo. Nigerian national Fedelis Ezechukwu was 
arrested as a result of the ICD. The heroin originated from 
Karachi, Pakistan and was intended for a Nigerian drug 
trafficking organization (DTO). Under Togolese law, Ezechukwu 
faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for 
importation of a dangerous controlled substance. Togolese 
Minister of Security expressed his gratitude with our help on 
the operation and promised full cooperation with the DLO and 
DEA for future operations. 
 
 2. (SBU) In late September 2005, British authorities in 
Dubai, U.E intercepted a shipment containing an undetermined 
quantity of heroin (reftel). The shipment originated in 
Karachi, Pakistan from: M.K. Enterprises, Room #67 Wazir 
Mansion, Nicol Road, Karachi. It was consigned to a 
Lome-based company : Sunny West, AU DU 24, Lome, Togo. The 
latter is owned by Sunday Chukwudi Geoffrey, a Nigerian 
resident in Togo.  The shipment arrived in Togo via Nigeria. 
Upon the shipment's arrival in Lome, the Togolese drug police 
contacted the owner of the consignee company for 
investigation. Geoffrey told the police that he was a 
clearing agent and that the shipment in question was destined 
 for overland shipment to Nigeria.  cooperating with the 
police, Geoffrey agreed to contact the owner of the 
consignment via a Nigerian Cellular phone number. According 
to the drug police, Geoffrey informed the owner that his 
shipment had arrived in Lome. The owner agreed to travel by 
road from Nigeria to Lome to pick up the shipment. 
 
 3. (SBU) The police established surveillance near Lome's 
international airport where the shipment was being stored. 
Nigerian national Fedelis Ezechukwu traveled from Onitsha, 
Anambra State, Nigeria to Lome to pick up the shipment. He 
presented the bill of lading and claimed the consignment. As 
he was about to depart the airport, the police arrested him. 
He was then transported to the headquarters of the drug 
police for investigation. 
 
 4. (SBU) During post-arrest interrogation by CA Gaye and DLO 
King, Ezechukwu said he was recruited in Nigeria by a person 
named Ifeaniyi Okeke to travel to Togo and pick up the 
shipment. He claimed he had met Okeke a few months earlier at 
a beer parlor in Lagos. During that encounter, Okeke asked 
him to pick up a shipment he was expecting from Pakistan. 
Okeke promised to pay him when the shipment arrived safely in 
Nigeria. Ezechukwu claimed he did not know much about Okeke 
nor did he have Okeke's address. The only information he had 
was Okeke's Nigerian cellular phone number (0803-360-8763). 
Ezechukwu said he was instructed to call the cellular number 
when he arrived in Nigeria. At that time, Okeke would direct 
him where to take the shipment. During the interrogation, 
Ezechukwu was evasive and seemed to know more than he was 
admitting. 
 
 5. (SBU) The 7 kilograms of heroin were concealed in 146 
packages, each containing 12 cotton rods (each cotton rod 
contained 5 grams in clear plastic). The heroin was weighed 
and sealed. A sample was taken to the laboratory for 
analysis. Defendant Ezechukwu was charged with importation of 
dangerous controlled substance under Togolese law. He faces a 
maximum sentence of 20 years. 
 
 6. (SBU) Following this operation, Colonel Laoukpessi 
Pitalouna-Ani, Togolese Minister of Security, invited CA Gaye 
and DLO King to his office. The minister expressed his 
gratitude and promised full cooperation with the DLO and DEA. 
The minister added that Togo would not be used as safehaven 
for drugs and that he was prepared to move against those " 
military and government officials" involved in drug 
trafficking. The minister urged DEA and the DLO to share 
information linking government officials to drug trafficking. 
 
 7. (SBU) Comment:  This is the first instance of 
collaboration on an ICD with our British counterpart in West 
Africa in recent memory, and it was successful. This paces 
the way to more such operations. While we do not know much 
about Colonel Laoukpessi, we were pleased with the work of 
the Togolese in this matter. Laoukpessi appeared to be 
committed to international collaboration on counter narcotics 
and we plan to take him up on his promise to cooperate on 
future operations. End comment. 
BROWNE