The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Lagos International Airport, has arrested three suspects all males with 20.8 kilograms and 117grams of cocaine.
All the suspects were arrested on the 6th and 8th of January 2021 with the illicit drugs nearly hidden inside hair relaxers, embroidery tailoring materials and shirts packaged with carbon and other oily substances to avoid being detected by the scanning machines.
The suspected drug traffickers whose names were given as Okeke Uchenna and Azubuike Jeremiah Emeka were nabbed by officials of the agency during inward clearance of Ethiopian airlines from Brazil while Abdul Musa a freight forwarder was nabbed while trying to export Cocaine to India through the cargo warehouse of the skyway Aviation Handling Company, SAHCO in Lagos.
According to the NDLEA Airport Commander, Garba Ahmadu, at a news briefing, the suspects wee arrested with 13kg, 117grams and 7.8kg of cocaine.
Ahmadu stated that Okeke Uchenna was a second time offender and also a fugitive wanted by the Federal High Court Lagos for jumping bail for a drug related offence in 2014, adding a bench warrant had been issued for his arrest.
He described the seizures as significant because of the quantity of the drugs seized, adding that 13kgs, 7.8kg and 117kgs was significant based on the mode of transport.
In 2020, the NDLEA Lagos airport commander said, the command made a total seizures of 3413.463 kilograms of illicit drugs comprising Cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis sativa, just leaves, ephedrine and psychotropic substances.
A total of 60 suspects were arrested comprising 52 males and 8 females and were all charged to court and arraigned for prosecution and 44 were convicted.
“The break down of drugs seized are Cocaine 51.404(1.51%), Cannabis sativa 103.84(3.04%), Methamphetamine 19.935(0.58%), Ephedrine 19.811(0.58%), Khat leaves 2993.350(87.70%), Psychotropic substances, Tramadol 158.632(4.65%), Diazepam 42.0(1.32%) and Nitrazepam 24.491(0.72%) bringing the total drug seized to 3413.463(100%)”.
Mr. Ahmadu noted that the successes were achieved through the selfless sacrifice exhibited by the officers and men of the command even in the face of serious dangers and challenges.
” I want to thank the Management of the NDLEA for leading the command and partnering with the UK border force, British National Crime Agency which paved way for the creation of Joint Border Task Force Project, JBTF. A project responsible for the transformation of the NDLEA MMIA command into a model office equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and up to date trainings of officers in line with international best practice”.
