The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested Freeman Charles Ogbonna, a passenger going for Delhi, India, at the screening point of Terminal 2 at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja, Lagos, for swallowing 80 wraps of cocaine.
According to Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Ogbonna was arrested on Sunday, March 31st, while attempting to board a trip to Delhi, India via Doha on Qatar Airways with a Liberian international passport carrying the name Carr Bismark. He stated that Ogbonna was brought for a body scan, which revealed that he had ingested illicit narcotics.
"Preliminary checks revealed his true identity as Freeman Charles Ogbonna, and he was then placed under observation in NDLEA custody, where he began to show signs of discomfort." Clearly choked by the number of illicit substances in his stomach and another medication taken to prevent excretion, the suspect began to retch before vomiting and excreting wraps of cocaine he had consumed almost simultaneously.
"The suspect, who claimed to have been lured into drug trafficking by one of his relatives, eventually handed out 80 wraps of cocaine weighing 889 grammes through his mouth and anus over the course of four days. Despite the significant risk to his life, Ogbonna stated that he was given the drugs to swallow at a motel in Ikeja's Ipodo neighborhood with the promise of N300,000 in cash if he successfully delivered the shipment to India.
In the similar line, NDLEA officers at Lagos International Airport intercepted Imran Taofeek Olalekan, a drug mule, at Gate C of Terminal 1 on Wednesday, 3rd April, while he was leaving for Oman with check-in luggage and backpack. When his check-in suitcase and backpack were thoroughly searched, the operatives uncovered a false bottom concealment of drugs in the luggage and the backpack's walls.
The NDLEA police quickly zeroed in on a man who had accompanied the suspect to the airport. He was later identified as Ishola Isiaka Olalekan, who had hired the trafficker.
"Imran Taofeek Olalekan stated that he returned from Dubai several years ago but still holds a valid residency permit on his old passport. He claimed he was offered N1,500,000 if he successfully delivered the shipment in Oman, while his recruiter, Ishola, was to receive N200,000.
"Curiously, when the two bags were completely unpacked at the NDLEA office, a charm was found in one of the bags while another one was found on the drug mule who confessed that he travelled to Ibadan, Oyo state to meet with a 'Alfa' that prepared the charm for him to ensure he was not caught during the trip."
Another charm, Babafemi claimed, was discovered on the intermediary, Ishola Isiaka Olalekan, who accompanied Taofeek to the airport's departure area. Ishola claimed he purchased the charms for N70,000.
"NDLEA operatives intercepted 2,144 parcels of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 1,072kg, at the Tincan seaport in Lagos on Wednesday, April 3rd." The seizure occurred during a collaborative examination with the Customs Service and other stakeholders of a container designated GAOU 6699215 bound for Montreal but originally from Toronto, Canada.
"The drugs, packed in 46 jumbo bags, were discovered concealed in a used 2009 Lexus RX 350, 2011 Toyota Sienna, and 2009 Lexus ES 350, as well as used engines, automobile doors, tyres, used household goods, and large drums loaded into the container."
"In Kano, a 48-year-old suspect, Gidado Sani, who jumped bail granted by a Federal High Court in Kano on drug offence charges, was re-arrested on Friday 5th April in the Sharada area of the state with 85 blocks of cannabis weighing 50.1kg, while NDLEA operatives in Ogun state arrested another suspect, Wasiu Jimoh, during a raid operation at Ilese Awo, with 84 parcels (62kg) of cannabis sativa.
"Operatives in Lagos intercepted a suspect, Emeka Umeh, with 506.2kg cannabis at Igbede, Ojo area of the state, while another suspect, Victor Okeke, was apprehended on Friday, April 5th, at Igbo Elerin, Ojo, with 142grams of cannabis sativa and 175 litres of skuchies recovered from him." On Wednesday, April 3rd, NDLEA officers working in collaboration with transport company Young Shall Grow Motors arrested Ifeanyi Udogwu, 35, for attempting to smuggle 1.5kg cocaine concealed in music speakers from Lagos through Aba, Abia state to his uncle, Ifeanyi Udogwu, based in Cameroon.
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