The Albino Foundation Public Notice
Two pregnant women and a barber have been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos, for attempting to import and export illicit drugs.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Mr Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement in Abuja.
Babafemi said the first to enter the agency’s dragnet was a Brazilian returnee, Nworie Chikwendu, who was arrested on May 3. He said the suspect was arrested during an inward clearance of passengers on a Qatar Airways flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil, enroute Doha to Lagos.
He said during a search of his luggage, two parcels of cocaine were discovered in a pair of slippers hidden in his backpack.
He added that a further search of the pair of black slippers worn by the suspect also led to the recovery of additional two parcels of cocaine.
These, he said, were built into the soles of his footwear, bringing the total to four parcels weighing 800 grams.
According to Babafemi, when undergoing a preliminary interview, Chikwendu, who claimed to be a barber in Sao Paulo, said he came to Nigeria for the burial of his father.
Babafemi said: “He confessed he decided to get into the criminal act because his trip was sponsored by his Brazil-based friend, who gave him the drug to deliver in Lagos for a fee of N2, 000, 000.
“The following day, May 4, NDLEA operatives at the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) export shed of the airport intercepted some cartons of alcoholic drinks suspected to contain illicit drugs.
“A freight agent who brought the consignment for export to Dubai, UAE, Shola Ogunrinde, was immediately arrested.
“While a follow-up operation led to the arrest of a pregnant woman, Mrs Seun Babatunde, who operates an alcohol joint in Pleasure area of Iyana Ipaja.”
He added that when the cartons were opened in the presence of the agent and the pregnant owner, seven parcels of cannabis and a sachet of ecstasy drug (MDMA) were found concealed inside cans of black bullet alcoholic drinks.
He said: “In her confession, Mrs Babatunde claimed the drugs were being sent to her husband who lived in Dubai.
“The second pregnant woman, Mrs Gloria Asibor, was arrested on May 5, while attempting to board a Turkish Airline flight to Bolonia, Spain via Istanbul, Turkey. A search of her luggage containing food items led to the discovery of 300 tablets of 200mg and 225mg high dosage Tramadol concealed in crayfish.”
Meanwhile, large consignments of psychoactive substances have been intercepted in parts of North-West, North-East and North-Central.
In Kaduna, a drug dealer, Obinna Anene a.k.a Young Alhaji was arrested last Friday at Buwaya Kaduna with 50,000 tablets of Diazepam weighing 9kg; 595 tablets of Tramadol weighing 318grams and 8 tablets of Co-codamol weighing 6grams.
The same day, a trafficker, Alhaji Modu Yahaya was caught with 26.5kg of cannabis in Damaturu, Yobe state while travelling in a commercial vehicle from Abuja to Maiduguri, Borno state.
At least, nine drug dealers were arrested by operatives in Lagos on Thursday 5th May during raids in black spots in Mushin Olosha and Akala as well as Langbasa and Ikota in the Ajah area of the state with different quantities of Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, Cannabis, and Skuchies.
Vanguard
