NDLEA seizes London-bound Meth consignment at Lagos Airport
…Arrests Brazilian returnee with cocaine in private parts
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a suspected drug kingpin at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA), Lagos allegedly behind attempts to export 40 parcels of Methamphetamine to London.
NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, stated in Abuja on Sunday that the suspect was arrested on Saturday after three weeks of painstaking investigation and tracking by NDLEA’s operatives.
He alleged that the consignment went through the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc. (NAHCO) export shed of the airport.
Babafemi stated also that the suspect was arrested at Manacola Estate, Alakuko area of Lagos three weeks after his drug consignment weighing 2.05kg was intercepted at the airport.
His freight agent was arrested on June 7.
“During interrogation, the suspect said he is from Ahiazu, Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo and had lived in Dubai, for 10 years before returning to Nigeria in 2019.
“He said that after his return to Nigeria, he opened a phone accessories shop in Sango-Ota, Ogun state but the business collapsed.
“He then started sending cigarettes to London and decided to conceal the illicit drug in the consignment after advice by a friend,” Babafemi stated.
He added that closely-related to the arrest was the seizure of another consignment of 2kg of Methamphetamine at a courier house in Owerri.
The cargo was seized on June 22 in two cylindrical cellophanes concealed in fabrics headed for Hong Kong.
“Also at the Lagos Airport, NDLEA operatives intercepted 500,000 pieces of 225mg tablets of Tramadol packed in 10 cartons and labelled `Tramaking’ imported from Karachi, Pakistan, on Emirates Airline.
“The consignment weighing 407.6kg was seized during a joint examination Customs Service and NAFDAC officials.
“On the same day, a Dubai, UAE-bound passenger, Alegbeleye Taiwo, was arrested at the Lagos Airport with 40 ampoules of pentazocine injections.
“The 21-year-old suspect claims he’s from Osun,” he stated.
In a similar development, the agency arrested a Brazilian-returnee with pellets of cocaine concealed in his private parts.
NDLEA’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, who disclosed it in a statement yesterday in Abuja, stated that the suspect was arrested at the arrival hall of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.
He stated that the suspect was nabbed on June 20 upon arrival on an Ethiopian Airline flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa.
He added that the suspect had swallowed 50 wraps of cocaine before departing Brazil and excreted 48 pellets in Addis Ababa where he handed them over to another person.
According to Babafemi, the suspect was unable to excrete the remaining two wraps at the hotel room in Addis Ababa before boarding his flight.
“He later excreted them in the aircraft restroom during the flight from Ethiopia to Lagos,” Babafemi stated.
Meanwhile, two drug kingpins behind the smuggling of two drug consignments from Canada concealed in vehicles containers through the Tin Can Port in Apapa, Lagos have been arrested by NDLEA’s operatives.
Babafemi stated that one of them was arrested at his house in Idi Araba area of Lagos on June 22.
The suspect was arrested for importing a 40ft container carrying 33 parcels of “Colorado” weighing 16.5kg.
Babafemi added that the second suspect, popularly called Otunba, was arrested on Thursday for his role in the smuggling of 290 parcels of “Colorado” weighing 145kg from Montreal, Canada.
The drugs were concealed in four vehicles shipped into Nigeria in a 40ft container.
“He had been on the run since March and had in the course of investigation attempted to bribe NDLEA officers with N10million to influence the case,’’ Babafemi stated.
