Chinedu Eze
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has again warned pilgrims against going to the holy land with any narcotics substance.
The agency said any substance either injected or hidden, would be detected by the agency.
An officer-in-charge of Hajj operations at the NDLEA, Alhaji Aliyu Shinkafi explained that drug trafficking attracts death sentence in Saudi Arabia, the consequence of it before Almighty God is equally huge.
Shinkafi spoke at the Hajj seminar organised for pilgrims on international route by Med-View Travels Konsult, an arm of Med-View Airlines PLC held Medview Head office in Lagos.
The NDLEA official noted that those arrested recently at Ilorin International Airport injected the substance but the Airport lacks the scanning machine to detect the substance.
Disclosing that the agency had beefed up its search, he urged all pilgrims, who are still performing the exercise this year to call themselves to order. “Wherever you put it, we would detect it”, he said.
Other agencies like the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) also cautioned pilgrims to abide by the rules and regulations of Saudi Arabian authorities.
Managing Director/CEO of Med-View, Alhaji Muneer Bankole explained that the airlines had saved pilgrims the stress of going through Dubai on Emirates or other foreign carriers which journey is usually longer.
“For the international pilgrims, the good thing God has given us is that we are the only Nigerian air carrier that operates schedule to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We have the right for four flights weekly”, he said.
