Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos have arrested a 34-year-old man, Nriagwu Augustine Ifeanyi with 1.370kg of whitish powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine. The arrest and seizure took place at the departure hall during screening of passengers on a Turkish Airline flight.
According to the NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport Mr. Hamza Umar the drug was packed in two parcels inside a laptop bag. “The suspect was found with two parcels of cocaine industrially hidden by the sides of his laptop bag. He was detected on his way to Turkey from where he would have proceeded to South Sudan. The drug tested positive for cocaine and weighed 1.370kg”.
The suspect in his statement said that he smuggled the drug in anticipation of 3,500 dollars. “I wanted to use the 3,500 dollars they promise to pay me to take care of my personal problems. I relocated to South Sudan in January 2013. I am married with a child but I am unable to care for my family due to financial constraint. Nobody wants to help me and the only way out for me was to smuggle the drugs. This was how I got involved” Nriagwu stated. He hails from Anambra State.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade said that the Agency will continue to engage in both drug supply and demand reduction activities towards making the country drug-free. “The NDLEA will continue to pursue its mandate with all diligence. We shall cut off the supply of drug through arrests and prosecution of drug traffickers. We shall also intensify our anti-drug abuse public enlightenment programmes” Giade stated.
The suspect will soon be charged to court.
