Crime

NDLEA Nabs Paris-bound Businessman for Ingesting 74 Wraps of Heroin, Cocaine at Abuja Airport

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a businessman, Orizu Ifeanyi Arthur for ingesting 74 wraps of heroin and cocaine while attempting to board an Air France flight 844 from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja to Paris, France.

Orizu, 48, was arrested at the boarding gate of the Abuja airport on Sunday, December 22, 2024 during the outward clearance of passengers on Air France.

The Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a statement made available to thelensng on Sunday.

Babafemi noted that when Orizu was pulled aside for body scan, he turned down the request, claiming that his medical condition won’t allow him.

“He was thereafter taken into custody for excretion observation during which he excreted a total of 74 wraps of the Class A drugs over a period of seven days. In his statement, Orizu claimed he owns a shop at Balogun market, Lagos Island where he sells school and travelling bags,” he stated.

The businessman revealed that he was promised 3,000 Euros upon successful delivery of the consignment in Paris, adding that he left his base in Lagos for the Abuja airport to connect his Air France flight to Paris, hoping to escape detection.

Similarly, operatives of the Marine Command of the Agency at 2:30am on Christmas eve, Tuesday, December 24, intercepted two boats loaded with 1,960 kilograms of Ghanaian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis at the Eleko beach in Lekki area of Lagos.

The spokesperson disclosed that six (6) foreign nationals who brought the consignments from Ghana were arrested during the operation, including two (2) Ghanaians: Godsway John, 38; and Freedom Kelvin, 33; and four Beninese: Chegoun Hounsou, 23; Gadabor Nyameto, 47; Adantg Sasa, 34; and Ayao Kayivi, 21.

In another operation, a suspect Ibrahim Shaibu, 35, was apprehended in possession of 40 album-size parcels of compressed cannabis sativa weighing 35kg on Christmas day, December 25 at Central Motor Park, Katsina, while another suspect Umar Ahmed, 47, was nabbed along Zaria-Malumfashi road, Katsina with 27 parcels of same psychoactive substance weighing 13.5kg on Saturday, December 28.

The statement added: “A 21-year-old suspect Kosisochukwu Ozigbo was arrested at new Lagos road Benin City, Edo State when the area was raided on Monday 23rd December by NDLEA operatives. Recovered from the suspect include: 32,490 pills of tramadol 225mg, 200mg and 100mg; 936 bottles of codeine-based syrup and various quantities of other opioids.”

In the same vein, the Commands across the country balanced their drug supply reduction operations with War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaigns to schools, markets, worship centres and communities.

The campaigns include: WADA sensitisation lecture delivered by Lagos State Strategic Command in collaboration with Menitos Foundation to residents of Akoka Community at Ayetoro Primary School, Akoka, Bariga; while the Adamawa State Command of NDLEA delivered same lecture to members of Jama’atul Nasril Islam during their annual first aid group and leadership camping in Adamawa, among others.

Reacting to the successful operations, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa commended the efforts of the officers and men of NAIA, Katsina, Edo and Marine Commands of the Agency for job well done in the past week.

Marwa tasked them and their compatriots nationwide not to rest on the achievements of 2024, but continue to raise the bar in their offensive action against drug barons and cartels with an equal measure of WADA sensitisation campaigns in the new year.

Hope Ejairu

Hope Ejairu is a writer, sports analyst and journalist, with publications in print and digital media. He holds certifications in various media/journalism trainings, including AFP.

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