A 28 year old suspected drug trafficker caught by officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos said that he had lost his life savings he invested in the illicit drug deal. The suspect was apprehended for being in unlawful possession of substances that tested positive for methamphetamine weighing 2.750kg. He was to board a Qatar airways flight to Vietnam when he tested positive for drug ingestion and was placed under observation.
NDLEA Airport Commander, Hamza Umar gave the name of the suspect as Unigwe Anthony Iwuchukwu. Hamza said that he was detected for drug ingestion with the aid of scanning machine during routine check on passengers. “The arrest was made possible by the scanning machine. During observation, he excreted 2.750kg of methamphetamine. He is currently being investigated” Hamza stated.
According to the drug suspect, he was tempted to indulge in the illegal business due to expectation of high returns on his investment. “I went to Benin Republic in search of business that could yield high profit. Unfortunately, I was introduced into drug trafficking. They told me that I needed to give them part of the capital to have a larger share of the profit. I then came to Nigeria and sold all that I had including landed property. I sold everything and invested 5 million naira in the drug deal. They told me that I could earn 20 million from the 5 million I invested. Unfortunately I was caught and all that I have worked for is gone. It was devastating because I almost gave up my ghost. I have not recovered from the shock. Even my mother is down with stroke and I am in a helpless situation. I regret my involvement in the drug seal” Unigwe lamented.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA Ahmadu Giade said that drug traffickers should learn from the arrest. According to Giade, “the outcome of drug trafficking is usually regret, pain and disappointment. Drug traffickers should expect more of unsuccessful drug deals in the days ahead. It is clear that the suspect was motivated by greed and insatiable desire to be super rich. Five million naira can start a small and medium scale enterprise. In fact, there are many legitimate business opportunities open to him but he preferred drug trafficking. He must therefore face the legal consequences. It is expected that others will learn from his case”.
The suspect is single and hails from Oraifite, Anambra State. He will soon be charged to court.
