Further attempts by Brazil-based drug cartels to smuggle substantial amounts of cocaine into Nigeria via Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, by concealing the illicit substance in teabags were again thwarted by National Drug Police officers.
At least four traffickers involved in attempts to import and export illicit drugs across the country last week are now in the agency’s custody.
One of them is Pascal Ekene Okolo, 33, an indigenous man from Ihe in Ogwu Local Government Area in Enugu State, who was arrested during a customs clearance upon arrival. ‘A Qatar Airways flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil, via Doha to the arrival hall of the NAIA on April 17.
Okolo, who claimed to be in the wine business in Brazil, was arrested with a travel bag containing various medicinal tea bags, which were used to conceal 4.1 kg of cocaine.
On the same day, a Nigerian based in Canada, Anigo Christian Godspower, was intercepted at MMIA, Ikeja, during customs clearance of arriving passengers on Qatar Airways from Sao Paolo.
During the search of his luggage, two blocks of cocaine with a total weight of 2.10 kg were discovered.
The 52-year-old, from Udi in Enugu state, claimed he operated an unregistered currency exchange business before delving into the illicit drug trade.
Another cartel’s offer to export 950g of heroin concealed in the soles of ladies’ shoes via the MMIA cargo shed has also been foiled by anti-narcotics agents, who have so far arrested two crime suspects.
Among those arrested between April 16 and 17 in connection with an attempt to export the drug to Monrovia, Liberia, are Idokoja Solomon Chukwurah and Patrick John Tochukwu.
Meanwhile, NDLEA officers in raids in Kano, Kaduna, Benue and Akwa Ibom states seized as many as 88,734 doses of Tramadol, Pentazocine, Diazepam and Swinol.
In Kano, 28-year-old Aliyu Usman was arrested in the state capital’s railway area with 47,000 Tramadol capsules and 2,000 Pentazocine injection vials on April 19 while Saminu Usman, 28, was was caught with 24,710 Tramadol tablets in Gadar Tamburawa Kano area Two days earlier.
In Benue, another dealer, Emeka Eze, was arrested at an NDLEA checkpoint in Adikpo, Kwande local government area of the state with 10,000 tramadol capsules and 900 swinol tablets, while in Kaduna State, the duo of Raphael Daniel and David Musa were arrested in Mando Park, Kaduna with 1kg of cocaine on April 21.
Last Thursday, a week after Muhammad Sani Ibrahim sent 12.1 kg of cannabis from Lagos to Kaduna, officers were able to track him down and arrest him. They took him to Kaduna after his shipment was intercepted.
Another dealer, Kamilu Ibrahim was also arrested on the same day at Kargi village in Kubau local government area, Kaduna state with 10.6 kg of Cannabis Sativa, while Bashir Ibrahim was arrested…
