By Michael Olugbode
Two persons detained by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) have excreted a total of 191 pellets of heroin and cocaine while under observation.
This is barely two weeks after a Madrid-bound trafficker, Okonkwo Chimezie, excreted 113 wraps of cocaine at the same airport.
A statement by the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said on April 10, 2021, during the outward screening of passengers on Ethiopian Airline to Italy, NDLEA operatives at MMIA intercepted and referred one Chukwudi Destiny for scanning and the scan result proved positive to drug ingestion.
He was consequently placed under excretion observation and in the process, excreted 92 pellets of heroin with a total weight of 1.300 kilogrammes.
He also said that on April 12, 2021, during the inbound examination of consignments on Ethiopian Airline cargo flight from South Africa, operatives at SAHCO import shed made a seizure of 11.550 kilogrammes of heroin cleverly packed and concealed in corn flakes cartons.
He disclosed that four clearing agents are in custody in connection with the seizure.
The Commander, MMIA Command of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Garba, said: “A sting operation was executed on the address provided by one of the suspects.
In the process, a Congolese, Kayembe Kamba Mazepy, was arrested. After his arrest, he mentioned another person who is to receive the parcel from him.
“On the strength of the information, another sting operation was conducted in the early hours of Saturday, 17th April, 2021 where the person that came to take delivery was arrested,” he said.
The statement said on Friday April 16, 2021, another trafficker, Ezekiel Chibuzo, who arrived Lagos from Brazil on board Qatar Airline, was also arrested for drug ingestion. He has so far excreted 99 wraps of cocaine.
It said this is just as officers at export shed of the airport have seized 822.950 kilogrammes of khat leaves heading to UK and US.
Reacting to the latest drug haul at the airport, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the MMIA Command for their commitment to the nation’s crusade against illicit drugs.
He said: “While I commend the officers and men of our MMIA Command, let me again warn unrepentant barons and traffickers that the game is up for them because we’ll continue to disrupt their criminal trade as part of efforts to secure our country and protect the future of our youths.”
