NDLEA arrests Abuja bizman over online sales of illicit drugs

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested the MD/CEO of Marvelrock Pharmaceuticals and Stores Limited, Orakwe Chibuike Celestine, for engaging in sales of illicit and controlled drugs on popular e-commerce platform, Jiji.ng. Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, on Wednesday, said that Orakwe, a graduate of business administration from the University […]

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested the MD/CEO of Marvelrock Pharmaceuticals and Stores Limited, Orakwe Chibuike Celestine, for engaging in sales of illicit and controlled drugs on popular e-commerce platform, Jiji.ng.

Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, on Wednesday, said that Orakwe, a graduate of business administration from the University of Abuja, registered the pharmaceutical company on December 16, 2014, with the certificate and support of a licensed pharmacist who opted out of the deal in 2017.

Babafemi said, “The suspect continued running the business and enrolled it on Jiji.ng in 2019. He, however, came under NDLEA’s radar in October, 2021, when he advertised many pharmaceutical products such as tramadol, ketamine hydrochloride injection and hypnox flunitrazepam tablets on the Jiji.ng online marketplace.

“Between October 26, 2021, and August 8, 2022, a team of anti-narcotic officers assigned to investigate Orakwe’s drug business activities was able to establish the suspect was selling tramadol 225mg and other illicit/controlled drugs through the e-commerce platform.

“As a result, the suspect was arrested with some quantities of tramadol and swiphnol brand of rohypnol on Monday, August 8 at a drinking joint in Jabi area of Abuja where he had gone to make supplies of orders made through his online channel on Jiji.ng.”