Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a businessman, Ezemokwe Chukwuebuka Christian for ingesting 53 wraps of cocaine.
The suspect was arrested at the Port Harcourt International Airport while on his way to Tehran Khomeini, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Ezemokwe, 44 years, was arrested on Saturday 7th June while trying to board Qatar Airways flight QR1434 flying to Tehran Khomeini in Iran via Doha.
Spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest of the suspect in a statement on Sunday.
He said : “After a body scan proved positive to ingestion of illicit drug, he was placed on excretion observation during which he expelled 53 wraps of cocaine in six excretions with a total weight of 1.172kg.
“The suspect claimed to have gone into the criminal trade two years ago, moving between the West African sub-region and Iran.”
In another development, the statement said NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos in the early hours of Saturday, 14th June also intercepted an Italy bound passenger, Edobor Ambrose Ali on an Air France flight.
It said NDLEA officers in collaboration with the Aviation Security of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), discovered the drug consignments hidden in the luggage of the suspect during baggage scanning at the tarmac.
The statement said the suspect was then asked to disembark from the aircraft for “baggage identification after which a thorough search of the bag led to the discovery of 14, 410 pills of tramadol 225mg and 200mg concealed in winter jackets.
“In his statement, Ebodor said he lives in Italy where he was hired and sent on the all expenses paid trip to Nigeria to courier the drug consignments to Milan, Italy for a fee of 2,000 Euros.
“At the Port Harcourt Seaports in Onne, Rivers State, NDLEA operatives on Friday 13th June intercepted a shipment of 157,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth over N1.1 billion naira in street value, during a joint examination of a watch-listed container with men of Customs Service and other security agencies.
“The opioid consignments were hidden behind 257 cartons of ceramic sanitary wares.
“At least, three suspects: Friday Achibong Joseph, 47; Abraham Anthony Willy, 21; and Utibe David Okon, 24, were arrested on Thursday 12th June when NDLEA operatives raided a warehouse in Obereakai, Odukpani LGA, Cross River State, where a total of 2,687kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, was recovered.
“Same day in Bauchi State, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence, arrested the duo of Iriemi Imonikhe, 49, and Sa’idu Ladan, 30, along Bauchi -Jos road after 195 blocks of skunk weighing 287kg were discovered in their Toyota Camry car marked AKL 201 GG.
“While 14 jumbo sacks of skunk weighing 560kg were recovered from a wooden boat at Oniru beach in Lagos by operatives of the Marine Command of NDLEA on Thursday 12th June, officers of the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Maiduguri (MBIAM) same day arrested two businessmen ; Ishaku Abdullahi, 30; and Buba Usman, 32, at the arrival hall of the domestic wing of the airport with various quantities of ecstacy pills and skunk packaged in fanciful wraps labelled as ‘Lychee’ and ‘Porro Legal’.”
Also, the NDLEA said its War Against Drug Abuse, (WADA) social advocacy activities was intensified by various commands across the country during the werk under review.
“Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Command Secondary School, Orba, Uden LGA, Enugu; Divine Gift International School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; Baptist Primary School, Ago-Are, Oyo; and St. Vincent Secondary School, Oti-Oron Okobo, Akwa Ibom state, among others,” the statement said.
In his reaction to the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa commended officers and men of MMIA, PHIA, MBIAM, PHPC, Marine, Cross River, and Bauchi Commands for the arrests and seizures.
Marwa also praised their compatriots in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
