March 26, (THEWILL) – Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested a businessman, Molokwu Nwachukwu, who frequents China, Dubai, Pakistan and Vietnam, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, for concealing thirty-six parcels of cocaine in different parts of his check-in bags, hand luggage and two pairs of slippers, while heading to Southeast Asia.
Molokwu was arrested at the screening point of the MMIA Terminal 2 while attempting to board his flight to Vietnam on Wednesday, 22nd March.
According to a statement by the Agency’s spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, said a total of thirty-six parcels of whitish powdery substance that tested positive for Cocaine, with a gross weight of 1.00 kilograms were recovered from the handles of his bags and soles of two pairs of slippers in his luggage.
The suspect claims he travels frequently to China, Dubai, Pakistan and Vietnam, from where he imports baby wears he distributes from his Onitsha, Anambra state base.
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport have thwarted an attempt by a suspect, Chimezie Innocent Nwafor, to export 2.10 kilograms of methamphetamine to Brazil.
Mr Babafemi explained that follow-up operations led to the arrest of three more suspects linked to the consignment at Oyingbo market, Yaba, Lagos. They include Ifeanyi Onu; Simon Nwuzor and Omini ThankGod Peter.
The meth consignment was moulded into 25 bars of local black soup called Dudu Osun and packaged in a carton for export to Brazil.
A similar attempt to export a cocaine consignment consisting of 300grams of raw cocaine and 200grams of phenacetin, a chemical agent used to adulterate and increase the volume of cocaine, concealed in packs of air freshener, going to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, was also foiled by NDLEA operatives attached to the SAHCO export shed at the Lagos airport on Monday 20th March.
A suspect, Onyeze Obiora, has already been arrested in connection with the seizure and another bid by an intending passenger to Reggio, Italy, Osasere MacDonald, to export 500grams of tramadol 225mg concealed inside a carton of Indomie noodles on Tuesday, 21st March, was equally frustrated by vigilant officers who seized the drugs and arrested him.
On the same day, operatives of the Tincan Port command of the Agency also intercepted 107 kilograms of Cannabis Indica popularly known as Colorado hidden in a container bearing four used vehicles imported from Toronto, Canada.
A few days later, Friday, 24th March, Apapa Command of Customs Service was able to apprehend and hand over to NDLEA two suspects: Ademola Adekunle and Dayo Olatunji linked to the consignment.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
