-
NDLEA arrests 74-year-old man with 11kg cocaine at Abuja airport while attempting to board London-bound flight.
-
Cocaine allegedly hidden in food items, including ground pepper, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
-
Agency also records multiple drug busts in Lagos, Kano and Edo as anti-narcotics operations intensify.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a 74-year-old suspect, Ikwuakalom Nwakoro Emeka, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 11 kilograms of cocaine through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
The suspect was apprehended at the departure hall on Saturday while preparing to board a British Airways flight BA082 bound for Heathrow Airport in London, United Kingdom.
ATTENTION: Click “HERE” to join our WhatsApp group and receive News updates directly on your WhatsApp!
According to the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, a search of the suspect’s luggage revealed several blocks of cocaine concealed inside food items, including ground dry pepper.
Babafemi said the illicit drugs were wrapped in foil papers and balloons before being hidden in the luggage, allegedly in a bid to evade security checks.
The NDLEA spokesman noted that the suspect claimed he was travelling to the United Kingdom for vacation when he was intercepted by anti-narcotics operatives.
In a related development in Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested a woman, Maryam Olalowo, at Ikad Hotel and Suites on Etim Inyang Street, Victoria Island, over alleged possession of illicit drugs.
Babafemi said she was allegedly caught attempting to sell 89 grams of cocaine and 20 grams of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis, while accompanied by her three children, including an infant.
Her husband, Ibrahim Olalowo Olatunji, was later arrested after investigations linked him to the drugs. Authorities said he admitted ownership of the substances and was previously convicted for a similar offence in 2015.
READ ALSO: NDLEA Arrests Ex-Lagos Councillor with 40kg Skunk, Seizes Drugs Nationwide
In another operation on Lagos Island, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects, Kalilou Simpara and Saidu Ibrahim, after recovering 68,000 tramadol pills loaded in a truck allegedly destined for transport to Benin Republic.
A follow-up raid at Idumota Market led to the arrest of Nnamdi Cyprian, suspected to be the owner of the drug consignment, with an additional parcel containing 1,000 tramadol tablets recovered from his shop.
Operatives also arrested Nwanosike Kelvin during another raid in the market, where 47,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection were recovered.
Elsewhere, NDLEA officers arrested Magaji Dan Azumi, 42, with 386 kilograms of skunk in Bebeji, while Isah Wako was arrested with 282.2 kilograms of the same substance in Gwagwalada.
In Orhionmwon Local Government Area, operatives raided the Egwa Forest Reserve, arresting Chinedo Odalonu, 33, while destroying over 4,218 kilograms of skunk on two farms and recovering an additional 16.5 kilograms.
At the Apapa Seaport, NDLEA officials working with customs authorities intercepted 339,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup concealed in two containers flagged through intelligence reports.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, commended officers in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Edo states for the successful arrests and seizures, urging them to sustain efforts aimed at reducing the supply and demand for illicit drugs across the country.
