Officials of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have busted another attempt by Brazil-based drug cartels to smuggle substantial quantities of cocaine into Nigeria through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
The discovery of the Class-A illicit substance which was neatly concealed in tea bags has led to the arrest of four traffickers involved in the attempts to import and export illicit drugs through the country.
The spokesperson of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said on Sunday, that a 33-year-old Pascal Okolo, an indigene of Ihe in Ogwu local government area of Enugu State, was arrested in connection with the crime during an inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight from Sao Paulo via Doha at the arrival hall of the NAIA on Sunday, April 17.
Okolo, who claimed he is into wine business in Brazil was arrested with a travelling bag containing different medicinal tea bags, which were used to conceal 4.1kilograms of cocaine.
The same day, a Canada-based Nigerian, Anigo Godspower was intercepted at the D-Arrival Hall of the MMIA, Ikeja, during an inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways from Sao Paolo via Doha to Lagos.
When his luggage was searched, two blocks of cocaine with a total weight of 2.10kg were discovered.
The 52-year-old Anigo, who hails from Udi local council area of Enugu state, claimed he operated an unregistered Bureau De Change business before delving into the illicit drug trade.
The bid by another cartel to export 950grams of heroin concealed in the soles of lady’s footwears through the MMIA cargo shed was equally foiled by anti-narcotic officers who have so far arrested two suspects linked to the crime.
Those arrested between April 16 and 17 in connection with an attempt to export the drug to Monrovia, Liberia include Solomon Chukwurah and Patrick Tochukwu.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA operatives in raids in Kano, Kaduna, Benue and Akwa Ibom State also seized no less than 88,734 doses of Tramadol, Pentazocine, Diazepam and Swinol.
In Kano, Aliyu Usman, 28, was arrested at the Railway area of the state capital with 47,000 capsules of tramadol and 2,000 ampules of pentazocine injection on Tuesday, April 19 while Saminu Usman, 28, was nabbed with 24,710 tramadol tablets at Gadar Tamburawa area of Kano two days earlier.
In Benue, another dealer, Emeka Eze was arrested at an NDLEA checkpoint at Adikpo, Kwande local government area of the state with 10,000 tramadol capsules and 900 tablets of swinol, while in Kaduna State, the duo of Raphael Daniel and David Musa were arrested at Mando park, Kaduna with 1kg of Cocaine on Thursday, April 21.
A week after Muhammad Ibrahim sent 12.1kg of cannabis from Lagos to Kaduna, operatives were able to trace and arrest him last Thursday and brought him to Kaduna after his consignment was intercepted.
The NDLEA spokesman stated that another dealer, Kamilu Ibrahim was also arrested the same day at Kargi village in Kubau LGA, Kaduna State with 10.6kg cannabis sativa, while Bashir Ibrahim was arrested on Friday 22nd April after his four consignments containing cannabis sativa weighing 44.6kg were intercepted three days earlier along Abuja-Kaduna express road.
“In Akwa Ibom State, operatives arrested two female drug dealers: Eno-Obong Edet, 36, and Hossana Esema Ukpong, 28, with various quantities of rohypnol, diazepam, tramadol and cannabis, while a suspected fake security agent was arrested on Saturday, April 23, in Abuja while moving 23.8kg cannabis from Lagos to Maiduguri, Borno State.
Following the successes recorded in the war against drugs trafficking, the chairman/CEO of the agency, Buba Marwa commended the operatives for sustaining the heat on drug cartels.
He also charged them and those in other commands across the country to remain vigilant and on the offensive until the last gram of illicit drugs is taken away from the streets.
