The Nationwide Drug Legislation Enforcement Company (NDLEA) says the latest arrest of two Brazil returnees who excreted 116 wraps of heroin and cocaine at Lagos airport highlights the rising sophistication of worldwide trafficking networks and their hyperlinks to Nigeria’s home drug disaster.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed that 46-year-old Ofoma Sunday and 36-year-old Ukachukwu Frank Ikechukwu had been arrested on separate flights from Brazil by means of Addis Ababa and positioned below commentary after physique scans confirmed ingestion of illicit medicine.
“Ofoma egested a complete of 111 wraps of heroin weighing 1.452 kilograms in eight excretions, whereas Ukachukwu expelled 5 wraps of cocaine weighing 145 grams,” Babafemi mentioned.
Investigations led to the arrest of 55-year-old Nweke Jude Chukwudi at a Lagos resort the place he was designated to supervise the restoration of the heroin. In his confession, Ukachukwu admitted that he purchased 9 wraps of cocaine in Brazil and inserted them into his anus however needed to discard two wraps on account of extreme ache throughout transit.
“I might solely handle to reinsert seven wraps earlier than boarding, however I expelled two extra on the flight,” he instructed interrogators, including that he had beforehand lived in the US earlier than being deported in 2022.
The NDLEA mentioned the Lagos seizures had been half of a bigger week-long operation that intercepted a number of shipments hid in cellphone chargers, meals objects, and even underwear.
A businesswoman, Okolonkwo Ebere Theresa, was arrested with 1.40kg of methamphetamine hidden in a butt pad whereas making an attempt to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha.
On the NAHCO export shed, operatives uncovered 40 wraps of methamphetamine weighing 2.30kg in meals objects certain for Hong Kong, and in one other case, 257 grams of cocaine hidden inside cellphone chargers destined for New Zealand.
Home seizures additionally surged. In Adamawa, 233,800 tramadol drugs had been recovered in raids, together with 195,600 deserted in a Toyota Sienna.
In Zamfara, operatives intercepted 1,099kg of hashish skunk in a Mitsubishi truck, whereas in Edo State, two hashish farms protecting over 4 hectares had been destroyed, with an estimated yield of greater than 11,000kg. Arrests linked to those seizures lower throughout Yobe, Taraba, and different states.
The NDLEA Chairman/Chief Govt, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), mentioned the operations underscored the company’s technique of focusing on each worldwide cartels and home suppliers.
“These arrests and seizures symbolize a big milestone in our decided effort to dismantle drug trafficking organisations working in Nigeria and around the globe, prioritising these bent on focusing on our productive youth inhabitants with illicit substances till they’re not capable of inflict hurt on our communities or misrepresent our nation’s picture within the international area,” Marwa said.
He counseled officers throughout Lagos, Adamawa, Zamfara, Edo, Taraba, and Yobe for the coordinated successes and urged continued vigilance below the Warfare Towards Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, which final week prolonged sensitisation programmes to varsities, worship centres, and communities nationwide.
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