NDLEA intercepts illicit drugs concealed in African salad, vegetables en route to Qatar
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Chidinma Chinenye Agbazue, a 35-year-old woman, for trying to export 20 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 10.70 kilograms.
The drugs were concealed in African salad, known as Abacha, and dried vegetables destined for Doha, Qatar, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos State.
It said Agbazue, an outbound passenger from Lagos to Doha aboard Qatar Airways, was intercepted at the airport in partnership with men of the Department of State Services on Thursday, March 28, at the screening point of terminal 11 of the MMIA.
This was disclosed in a statement by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, on Sunday.
According to the statement, preliminary investigation revealed that Chidinma was based in Qatar but returned to Nigeria last December for Christmas celebration.
Babafemi explained that she said preparatory to her return to Doha, she was lodged at Club Dice Hotel in the Ikotun area of Lagos, where the consignment was handed over to her for trafficking to the Arab country.
The statement also disclosed that two suspects, Monday Okeke and Chigozie Emeka, were on Tuesday March 26 arrested by NDLEA operatives in Oniwaya, Yaba, and Agege area of Lagos, where they recovered from them 842,560 pills of opioids especially tramadol in addition to 15 litres of codeine syrup and 596 grams of Molly.
NDLEA said attempt by Okeke to bribe its officers with N5 million cash was rebuffed while the money was documented as part of exhibits to prosecute the suspects in court.
Meanwhile, Babafemi said a bid by three suspects, Ebuka Eze, 31; Ugochukwu Okoro, 44; and Kingsley Uzim, 27, to smuggle opioids including codeine, molly, tramadol and diazepam weighing a total of 73.425 kilograms to the creeks in Southern Ijaw area of Bayelsa State was thwarted on Wednesday March 27 by NDLEA operatives at Swali jetty, Yenagoa.
He said Ebuka and Ugochukwu were arrested while Uzim was nabbed at Amasoma in a follow up operation.
The spokesman further disclosed that the drugs were concealed in jumbo sacks and conveyed to the jetty in a tricycle.
In a similar development, two suspects, Eniola Muyideen and Bankole Shuaib, were arrested with 137 blocks of cannabis weighing 71kg during a raid at Orile Imo, Ogun State, on Friday 29th March.
