Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have stopped attempts by Brazil-based drug cartels to smuggle quantities of cocaine into Nigeria through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
They were said to have concealed the Class A illicit substance in teabags.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said, “At least, four traffickers involved in the attempts to import and export illicit drugs through the country last week are now in the custody of the agency.”
According to him, one of them is 33-year-old Pascal Okolo, who was arrested during an inward clearance of a Qatar Airways flight from Sao Paulo via Doha at the arrival hall of the NAIA on Sunday, April 17.
Okolo, who claimed to be into wine business in Brazil, was arrested with a travelling bag containing different medicinal teabags, which were used to conceal 4.1kilogrammes of cocaine.
Same day, a Canada-based Nigerian, Godspower Anigo, was intercepted at the D-Arrival Hall of the MMIA, Ikeja, during an inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways from Sao Paolo via Doha to Lagos.
When his luggage was searched, two blocks of cocaine with a total weight of 2.10kg were discovered.
The 52-year-old Anigo claimed he operated an unregistered Bureau De Change business before delving into the illicit drug trade.
The bid by another cartel to export 950grams of heroin concealed in the soles of ladies’ footwears through the MMIA cargo shed was equally foiled by anti-narcotic officers, who arrested two suspects linked to the crime.
Those arrested between April 16 and 17 in connection with attempts to export the drug to Monrovia, Liberia, included Idokoja Chukwurah and Patrick Tochukwu.
Babafemi also said that the NDLEA operatives in raids in Kano, Kaduna, Benue and Akwa Ibom states seized no fewer than 88,734 doses of tramadol, pentazocine, diazepam and swinol.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Marwa (retd.), commended the officers and men of the NAIA, MMIA, Kano, Kaduna, Akwa Ibom and FCT commands of the agency for sustaining the heat on drug cartels.