- Arrests jewelry, auto parts dealers
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, have discovered cocaine hidden inside the boxer shorts and luggage of a passenger.
Also, two suspected drug traffickers, a jewelry and an auto parts dealer, have been apprehended in connection with unlawful importation of narcotics.
The suspects, according to the agency, are Okonkwo Godwin, 57, an importer of jewelry found with cocaine in his boxer shorts, and Nnaemeka David Chinedu, 37, an auto parts dealer, who ingested 94 wraps of heroin.
This is one of the largest quantity of drugs ingested by a suspect at the Lagos airport lately.
NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba, said that the suspects arrived from Brazil and Uganda with their consignments of cocaine and heroin, respectively.
Garba said, “Two suspected drug traffickers are currently being interrogated for illegally importing narcotics into the country. Okonkwo Godwin was caught with one wrap of cocaine in his boxer shorts and another inside his bag, all weighing 750 grammes. He was arrested during the inward screening of passengers on a South African Airline flight from Brazil, while Nnaemeka David Chinedu was arrested for ingesting ninety-four wraps of heroin weighing 1.595kg during the screening of passengers on Rwand Airline from Uganda.”
One of the suspects, Godwin, who hid a parcel of cocaine in his boxer shorts told narcotic investigators that he smuggled drugs because of his numerous financial problems.
“I am married with two children but I am in a terrible financial crisis. I used to import jewelry for sale at Trade Fair Complex in Lagos and Onitsha main market. Things have changed so drastically that l even find it difficult to feed my family. This was what led me into drug trafficking. l was given two wraps of cocaine; one was hidden in my boxer shorts while the other was in my luggage. The agreement was for me to sell the drug and share the proceeds with my partner in Brazil” he said.
Chinedu on his part, said that he swallowed 94 wraps of heroin for N450,000 out of desperation.
“I ingested drugs for N450,000 because l was desperate. This is the first time I’ve smuggled drugs. I have been selling auto parts in Lagos for the past 15 years, but l must admit that things are very rough with me financially. I was paid to smuggle drugs from Uganda to make ends meet,” he explained.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (ret) said that the Agency would continue to foil the plans by traffickers wishing to make money from drug trafficking.
“NDLEA is working very hard to intercept drugs at all entry points and also arrest every trafficker. Those who intend to enrich themselves with proceeds of drugs will end up in detention. The arrests so far made validate our resolve to address the problem of drug trafficking in the country,” he said.
The suspects will soon be charged to court.
