Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a Delhi, India-bound passenger, Freeman Ogbonna at the screening point of terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for ingesting 80 wraps of cocaine.
According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, Ogbonna was arrested on 31st March while attempting to board a flight to Delhi, India via Doha on Qatar Airways, with a Liberian international passport, bearing the name: Carr Bismark.
He was taken for body scan, which tested positive for ingestion of illicit drugs, and preliminary checks revealed his real identity as Freeman Ogbonna and was subsequently placed under observation in NDLEA custody where he started to manifest signs of discomfort.
Babafemi said that Ogbonna obviously choked by the volume of illicit drugs in his stomach and another substance taken to hold back excretion, he soon began to retch before starting to vomit and excrete wraps of cocaine he ingested almost simultaneously.
He said the suspect, who claimed he was recruited into drug trafficking by one of his relatives, eventually passed out a total of 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 889 grammes through his mouth and anus over a period of four days.
Ogbonna was said to have claimed that he was given the drugs to swallow at a hotel in Ipodo area of Ikeja with a promise of N300,000 cash reward on successful delivery.
Babafemi said NDLEA officers at the Lagos airport had last Wednesday intercepted a drug mule, Imran Olalekan at Gate C departure of terminal 1 travelling to Oman with a check-in luggage and a backpack. When his check-in bag and backpack were subjected to thorough search, the operatives discovered a false bottom concealment of drugs in the check-in luggage and in the walls of the backpack.
The NDLEA officers swiftly moved in on a man who accompanied the suspect to the airport. He was later identified as Ishola Olalekan who recruited the trafficker.
Imran Olalekan told NDLEA officers he returned from Dubai some years ago but still has a valid residence permit on his old passport. He claimed he was promised N1.5 million if he successfully delivers the consignment in Oman, while his recruiter, Ishola was to be paid N200,000.
Babafemi said when the two bags were completely unpacked at the NDLEA office, a charm was found in one of the bags while another one was found on the drug mule who confessed that he traveled to Ibadan, Oyo state to meet with an ‘Alfa’ that prepared the charm for him to ensure he was not caught during the trip.
He also said another charm was found on the intermediary, Ishola Olalekan who accompanied Taofeek to the departure area of the airport. Ishola claimed he procured the charms for the sum of N70,000.
At the Tincan seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives also last Wednesday intercepted 2,144 parcels of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 1,072 kilogrammes. The seizure was made during a joint examination with Customs Service and other stakeholders of a container marked GAOU 6699215 coming from Montreal, but originated from Toronto, Canada.
He said the drugs packed in 46 jumbo bags were found concealed in used 2009 Lexus RX 350, 2011 Toyota Sienna, and 2009 Lexus ES 350 as well as used engines, automobile doors, tyres, and used household goods as well as big drums loaded into the container.
In Kano, a 48-year-old suspect, Gidado Sani who jumped the bail granted him by a Federal High Court in Kano on drug offence charges, was last Friday re-arrested in Sharada area of the state with 85 blocks of cannabis weighing 50.1 kilogrammes, while NDLEA operatives in Ogun state last Thursday arrested another suspect Wasiu Jimoh, during a raid operation at Ilese Awo, with 84 parcels (62 kilogrammes) of cannabis sativa.
Operatives in Lagos last Wednesday intercepted a suspect, Emeka Umeh with 506.2 kilogrammes cannabis at Igbede, Ojo area of the state, while another suspect, Victor Okeke was nabbed last Friday at Igbo Elerin, Ojo, with 142 grammes of cannabis sativa and 175 litres of skuchies recovered from him, also an attempt by 35-year-old Ifeanyi Udogwu to smuggle 1.5 kilogrammes cocaine concealed in music speakers from Lagos through Aba, Abia state to his uncle, Ifeanyi Udogwu based in Cameroon was thwarted last Wednesday when NDLEA officers working in collaboration with transport company, Young Shall Grow Motors, arrested him.
Meanwhile, the commands across the country balanced their drug supply reduction operations with War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaigns to schools, markets, motor parks, worship centres and communities.
While commending the efforts of the MMIA, Tincan, Ogun, Kano and Lagos Commands of the Agency, for jobs well done in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Retd) urged them and their compatriots across the country to remain vigilant and intensify their offensive action against drug cartels and their WADA advocacy campaign in every community nationwide.
