February 05, (THEWILL) – Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled attempts to export large consignments of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and ephedrine to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Europe through various disingenuous modes of concealment by desperate drug cartels via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State.
The NDLEA operatives also arrested the suspects behind the bids.
A statement issued on Sunday, by Spokesperson of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said top on the list of those arrested in connection with the seizures is a Nigerian based in Athens, Greece, Iwuozor Edward Chinedu.
“He was debarked from an Ethiopian airline flight on Friday, 3rd February after officers in the tarmac team of NDLEA intercepted two bags during a secondary check exercise at the foot of the aircraft.
“When the bags were searched in the presence of Chinedu and other airport stakeholders, two big pellets wrapped with foil papers and some sprinkles of pepper were recovered from each of the two sides of one of the bags. The pellets were used to construct false walls at the sides of the bag.
“The two parcels contained substances that tested positive to cocaine and heroin with a gross weight of 1.30kgs and 900grams respectively,” he said.
Babafemi said, during a preliminary interview, Chinedu claimed he came to Nigeria three months ago for surgery, which he was not comfortable doing in Athens.
He further claimed he was given the bag to deliver in Greece for a fee of two million naira (N2,000,000).
“Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO export shed of the airport on Monday, 30th January arrested a pregnant woman, Mrs. Sylvester Gloria Onome, after 800grams of skunk were discovered; concealed in two small radio sets she was sending to Dubai, United Arab Emirate,” Babafemi said.
He also disclosed that on the same day, operatives also intercepted a consignment going to Congo Kinshasa, containing 111 bottles of body cream that were used to conceal 24.50kgs of ephedrine, a chemical precursor and active ingredient to produce methamphetamine.
The NDLEA Spokesman stated that the cargo was later traced to a trader at Alaba trade fair complex, Ojo area of Lagos, Onyekachukwu Uduekwelu, after the initial arrest of two freight agents.
He revealed that another housewife, Mrs. Okpara Chizoba Victoria was arrested at her residence at 37 Obashola street, Ijesha area of Lagos, on Friday, 27th Jan. following the seizure of 300grams of skunk hidden in a bag of crayfish she was sending to Dubai, UAE through a freight agent.
In the same vein, Babafemi disclosed that operatives at the SAHCO export shed of the airport on Thursday, 26th Jan. intercepted a sack of new clothes going to Sierra Leone.
He said during a thorough search of the consignment, a parcel of white crystalline substance that tested positive to methamphetamine with a gross weight of 1kg, as well as 300grams of skunk and 100grams of ecstasy (MDMA) were recovered.
“A freight agent, Mfonabasi Victor Joseph, was already arrested in connection with the seizure.
“No fewer than 255,500 pills of tramadol and diazepam were recovered from an Italy-based suspect, Duru Josephat, who concealed the drugs in two of the bags he was travelling with to Milan, Italy on an Ethiopian airline flight. He confessed he bought the drugs in Onitsha, Anambra state and was taking them to Italy to sell them,” he said.
Babafemi further disclosed that barely a month after operatives at the Tincan seaport intercepted a consignment of 24.5kgs of cannabis indica concealed in used vehicles imported from Canada, they have again, seized 75.75kgs of the same substance, which came from Montreal, Canada, hidden in a container of four used vehicles with number MSCU 5336680.
“Coincidentally, the consignment has also been traced to a suspect already in custody in connection with the earlier seizure, Steve Adigwe and his accomplice, Cedrick Maduweke, who is still on the run,” he stated.
