DATE=          NOVEMBER 10, 1997

TYPE=        EDITORIAL

NUMBER=      0-07520

TITLE=       EDITORIAL:  INTERNATIONAL CRIME ALERT:  LAYENI







CONTENT=THIS EDITORIAL SHOULD BE USED BY NOVEMBER 17 BY WORLDWIDE

ENGLISH AND ALL SERVICES IN THE AFRICAN DIVISION.



ANNCR:

    NEXT, AN INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT.



VOICE:



       HEROIN.  IT IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST ADDICTIVE AND

DANGEROUS NARCOTICS.  IN RECENT YEARS, NIGERIA HAS BECOME A MAJOR

TRANSIT COUNTRY FOR SOUTHEAST ASIAN HEROIN DESTINED FOR THE

UNITED STATES.  IN 1990, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT BEGAN A MAJOR PROBE

OF INTERNATIONAL DRUG TRAFFICKING IN THE U.S. BY NIGERIAN

CITIZENS.  OVER THIRTY WERE ARRESTED AND FOURTEEN KILOGRAMS OF

HEROIN WERE SEIZED.  ONE MEMBER OF THE DRUG TRAFFICKING NETWORK,

FRANCIS OLUFIMI LAYENI, FLED U.S. JURISDICTION.  HE IS NOW AN

INTERNATIONAL FUGITIVE.



    IN JANUARY 1994, A FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTED LAYENI FOR

CONSPIRACY TO DISTRIBUTE HEROIN IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C., AREA.



    FRANCIS OLUFIMI LAYENI IS AN AFRICAN MALE BORN IN LAGOS,

NIGERIA, DECEMBER 9TH, 1955.  HE IS ONE-METER SEVENTY CENTIMETERS

IN HEIGHT AND WEIGHS SEVENTY-NINE KILOGRAMS.  HE HAS BLACK HAIR

AND BROWN EYES.  HE HAS WORKED AS A TAXI DRIVER AND AS A

COMMERCIAL PRINTER.  HE HAS USED THE NAME FEMI LAYENI.  HE HAS

ASSOCIATES IN NEW YORK AND CHICAGO AND HAS BEEN KNOWN TO USE

ILLICIT DRUGS.  HE MAY BE HIDING IN NIGERIA AND TRAVELING TO AND

FROM LONDON.  LAYENI SHOULD BE CONSIDERED DANGEROUS.



    IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION CONCERNING FRANCIS OLUFIMI LAYENI,

YOU SHOULD CONTACT THE NEAREST U.S. EMBASSY OR CONSULATE.  THE

U.S. GUARANTEES THAT ALL REPORTS WILL BE INVESTIGATED AND ALL

INFORMATION WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.  IF APPROPRIATE, THE U.S.

IS PREPARED TO PROTECT INFORMANTS BY RELOCATING THEM.



ANNCR:



    THAT WAS AN INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT. FOR

MORE INFORMATION ON INTERNATIONAL FUGITIVES, VISIT THE UNITED

STATES INFORMATION AGENCY WEB SITE HTTP://WWW.USIA.GOV/USIS.HTML

THEN SEARCH INDEX  FOR "INTERNATIONAL CRIME ALERT."



07-Nov-97 12:00 PM EST (1700 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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