NDLEA seizes cocaine, heroine worth over N30m
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) seized a high amount of cocaine and heroines worth over N30 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
This disclosure was made in a statement from an official of the agency, Mr. Jonah Achema who also said that the seizure was coming a week after the new Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Mr Mohammed Buba Marwa, vowed to dismantle drug trafficking cartels across Nigeria.
According to sources, one of the seizures, 26.840 kilograms of cocaine is the biggest single seizure from an individual in the past 15 years.
“On the 27th of January 2021, during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airline passengers at the E- arrival hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, a female passenger who arrived Nigeria from Sao Paulo, Brazil through Addis Ababa, was intercepted by NDLEA operatives.
“As a standard operating procedure, all passengers to and from high-risk countries are always profiled using passengers’ manifest.
“It happened that the above-named suspect was targeted. Consequently, she was taken to the NDLEA office at the airport, where her bags were searched thoroughly, and in the process, whitish powdery substances were found concealed inside 16 pieces of duvet contained in her two travel bags.
“Field test was conducted on the recovered substances and proved positive to cocaine and weighed 26.850kilograms. The suspect who is a hairstylist and based in Brazil was interviewed and she confessed to having agreed to smuggle the hard drug for the N2 million only.
“Although she refused to disclose the names of her associates, she mentioned that she was asked to hand over the drugs to another person. The street value of this singular seizure is put at over N21billion.”
The official further disclosed the development came on the heels of a similar one recorded two days earlier when a red left-over luggage was declared to the NDLEA operatives at the E-arrival hall after the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline.
“Based on information on the luggage tag, the luggage arrived Nigeria from Sao Paulo, Brazil, a destination classified as a high-risk country going by records and trends of arrest and seizures.
“Subsequently, the bag was transferred to the NDLEA ‘Legal Seat’ being the administrative office at the passenger terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, for detention. While this was going on, the NDLEA Commander at the MMIA, Ahmadu Garba received an intelligence report of a purported plan to clear a consignment containing hard drug through the Lagos airport. Coincidentally, the details sent matched the bag earlier detained by the operatives at the Lagos airport.
“In a coordinated operation, on January 27, 2021, an NDLEA undercover agent was contacted by one Abubakar Aliyu. Guided by the operation and investigation unit, the undercover agent successfully lured the said Abubakar Aliyu into the cargo terminal of the airport where he was arrested.
“The suspect revealed to NDLEA operatives that another person was on his way to receive the bag based of the instruction of his sender.
“Thereafter, the detained bag was opened in the presence of all the three suspects, whitish powdery substances were discovered neatly concealed and sewn inside five children duvets. The field test was carried out on the exhibits proved they are cocaine weighed to be 8.400 Kilograms, with a street value of over N7 billion.”
It was further learnt that on January 24, 2021, at about 12 noon, one Edosa Christopher was arrested at the passengers screening point of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and subjected to a body scan, which proved positive for hard drugs ingestion.
According to the official the suspect was immediately transferred to NDLEA/JBTF office and placed on excretion observation. Subsequently, he excreted a total of 68 wraps of substance, which was tested and proved positive for heroin. It was also weighed 950 grams.
Suzan O /NAN
