The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested a Brazilian returnee and father of two, Okolie Paulinus Nwabueze, for importing Ninety Two (92) wraps of cocaine, which he ingested and eventually excreted after days under observation in the agencys facility.
Nwabueze was arrested by operatives of NDLEA at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The 53-year-old trafficker who hails from Mmaku village, Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu state was arrested on September 2, upon his arrival on Qatar Airline flight enroute Brazil-Doha-Abuja. He claimed to have left Nigeria to Mozambique in 2004 and finally relocated to Brazil in 2017, where he obtained a residence permit before deciding to import the illicit substance for a $4,000 fee.
In the same vein, a 42-year-old man, Aliyu Bello Kwasare, has been arrested at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, for attempting to export a consignment of new psychoactive substance, Akuskura, to Saudi Arabia.
The indigene of Kware LGA, Sokoto, who lives in Goron Dutse area of Kano, was arrested on September 5, during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline flight to Riyadh.
A statement by Femi Babafemi
Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA on Sunday, also disclosed that no fewer than One Million and Ninety Nine Thousand (1,099,000) tablets of Tramadol 225mg were seized at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos, through inter-agency collaboration between NDLEA and the Nigerian Customs.
The pharmaceutical opioids packed in 50 cartons weighing 2,058.90kg, were imported from Pakistan via Addis-Ababa on Ethiopian Airways.
According to Baba Femi, the consignment was concealed among other non-controlled pharmaceuticals.
Also, the agency said it arrested a freight agent, Aliyu Abubakar, at the NAHCO export shed of the airport over attempt to export a consignment of cannabis concealed inside bottles of Caro white body lotion.
“Meanwhile, attempts by drug cartels to export 7.805 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine to the United States and Australia have been thwarted by NDLEA operatives attached to some courier companies in Lagos.
“The meth consignments were concealed in the linings of local fabric, wooden statutes, printer cartridges, handle of travel bag and cassava flakes” the statement said.
It added that a 25-year-old pregnant woman, Haruna Favour, was arrested in Auchi, Edo state on September 9, with 82 pinches of methamphetamine as well as various quantities of Loud, Arizona, Colorado variants of cannabis and codeine based cough syrup.
“In Gombe, One Hundred and Nineteen Thousand (119,000) tablets and capsules of tramadol, D5 and Exol5 were recovered from two drug dealers, Nasiru Abubakar, 22, and Umaru Bayero a.k.a Hadiza when NDLEA operatives raided their stores at the Gombe main market on September 6, Baba Femi hinted.
“In Kogi, a suspect, Paul Ali, 47, was arrested along Okene-Abuja highway with 1,404 bottles of Codeine based syrup weighing 190.94kg and 2,040 ampoules of pentazocine injection coming from Onitsha to Sokoto.
“A follow up operation in Sokoto has also led to the arrest of the receiver of the consignment on September 6.
“A raid at the cannabis plantation camp in Emure forest, Owo LGA, Ondo state has led to the arrest of Monday Onoja, 20; Daniel Kehinde, 25; and Obinna Okechukwu, 35, where sixteen (16) bags of the illicit substance weighing 179.5kg were seized from them” the agency said.
Reacting to the series of arrests and seizures,
Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended the officers and men of the NAIA, MMIA, DOGI, MAKIA, Kano, Kogi, Edo, Ondo and Gombe Commands for their resilience.
He charged them and their compatriots in other commands to remain focussed and vigilant in their areas of responsibility.
