The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the arrest of 40-year-old Spain-based ‘businessman’, Sherif Egbo at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja for drug trafficking.
The suspect was arrested while attempting to board an Air France flight to Paris, France after they discovered he ingested illicit drugs, NDLEA's Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, disclosed on Sunday in a statement.
Babafemi said that the suspect was arrested on Saturday, October 14 after a body scanner revealed he had wraps of illicit drugs in his stomach.
According to the statement, the suspect was subsequently placed under observation at the agency’s exhibit recovery room where he excreted 93 pellets of heroin weighing 2.222 kilograms.
“In his statement, the suspect claimed he works at a chicken hatchery farm in Madrid, Spain and also into drug trafficking business,” he said.
In the same vein, NDLEA operatives at the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) imports shed of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos made other seizures.
Babafemi said that the operatives seized a consignment of 10 cartons containing 500,000 pills of tramadol 225mg branded as tapentadol on Monday.
He said that the cargo, which was shipped from India through Qatar Airways with airwaybill and numbered MAWB 319-01227236 was purported to be a transit cargo to Monrovia, Liberia.
“However, the lid was blown open through partnership and real-time intelligence sharing mechanisms between NDLEA and its Liberian counterpart,” he said.
Also, an attempt by an intending passenger to Muscat, Oman on Qatar Airways, Ngene Chinecherem, to export 11.100kg of skunk and 600 grams of tramadol was reportedly frustrated by NDLEA operatives.
Babafemi said that the drugs were concealed in foodstuffs and were to be exported through the Lagos airport, adding that the suspect was arrested and the illicit substances were seized.