A suspected drug syndicate has abandoned 9.270kg of heroin originating from Pakistan at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos. Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) discovered the drug inside an abandoned luggage on the conveyor belt during inward screening of passengers on an Emirate flight. A 38 year old auto parts dealer, Ohagwu Earnest Ifeanyi who attempted boarding a Qatar airline flight to China with 735 grammes of heroin hidden in his stomach was also arrested. The heroin weighing 10.005kg is valued at over 80 million naira.
According to the NDLEA commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, the seizure is a good way to start the year. “This is a good start for us considering the value of the drug. The heroin seizures comprising 9.270kg imported from Pakistan and 735 grammes ingested by one Ohagwu Earnest Ifeanyi weighed 10.005kg. The suspect was arrested following a positive test for drug ingestion” Hamza stated.
The 38 year old suspect, Ohagwu Earnest Ifeanyi who hails from Enugu State said that he smuggled drugs to recover from a financial loss of 2 million naira. In his words, “I sell auto parts at Onitsha where I live with my wife and two children. My involvement in drugs was to enable me recover from the 2 million naira loss I incurred in my business. My friend in China was the one that introduced me into drug trafficking. They were to pay me the sum of 2,500 dollars. They gave me the heroin to swallow in a hotel room in Lagos but I was arrested at the airport”.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade said that the drug seizure underscores a rise in the nation’s counter-narcotics campaign. “Drug cartels only abandon their highly valued drugs when it becomes impossible to beat security checks. This seizure clearly underscores the Agency’s steady progress in counter-narcotics operations. Besides taking the seized drug out of illicit circulation, we have also prevented the suspect from facing possible death penalty in China for drug trafficking. The Agency will leave no stone unturned in the fight against drug barons” Giade stated.
The NDLEA boss called on members of the public to report cases of drug trafficking to the Agency. He added that efforts are being made to trace the importers.
