Emeka Ibemere
Breakdown of the 2014 scorecard of the National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, indicates that
drugs worth N2.9billion cocaine and other drugs entered Nigeria in 2014, NDLEA
has revealed.
Cocaine has the largest quantity with 120.44kg followed by methamphetamine
which comes next with 108.645kg, cannabis sativa 107.855kg, heroin 51.01kg
psychotropic substances 37.285kg and ephedrine 10.83kg. The estimated street
value of the seized drugs in 2014 is 2.9 billion naira.
Also statistics of drug arrests and seized at the Murtala Mohammed
International Airport (MMIA) Lagos in the past two years have shown that
arrests increased by 16.22 percent while drug seizures decreased by 33.68kg.
The Airport command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in 2014
apprehended 129 suspected drug traffickers comprising of 118 males and 11
females with 436.065kg of drugs seizures. In 2013, the Agency apprehended 93
drug suspects with 878.81kg of narcotics.
NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Mr. Hamza Umar said
that 117 drug suspects were apprehended on eighteen (18) Airlines. “More arrest
of drug suspects was made on Ethiopian airlines, Emirates, Etihad, South
African and Qatar Airways. A total of 44 suspects were apprehended trying to
import narcotics into the country. South Africa, China and United Arab Emirates
top the list of preferred destinations by suspects. The command received 229
persons who were deported on drug related charges” Hamza stated.
Out of the 229 drug deportees, 39 came from Italy, 37 from
United States of America, 36 from Spain, 31 from Norway and 22 from Thailand.
Others are Saudi Arabia 14, Switzerland 13, France 7, United Arab Emirates 5, and
Greece 4 while Brazil and Sweden deported 3 persons each. Australia, India and
South Africa deported 2 persons each while Cambodia, China, Cyprus, Indonesia,
Ireland, Portugal, Turkey Uganda and United Kingdom deported 1 person each.
Twenty-one (21) arrests were made on Ethiopian Airlines, 17
on Emirates, 12 on Etihad Airways, 11 on South African Airways, 10 on Qatar
Airways and 7 on Turkish Air. Air France and Arik Air had 2 arrests each;
Kenyan Airways and Royal Air Maroc recorded 5 each while Alitalia and Rwand Air
had 4 arrests each. Egypt Airline had 3 arrests, Cargolux 2 while Africa World
Airline, Iberia, KLM and Lufthansa recorded 1 arrest each.
Drug traffickers adopted different modes of drug concealment
at the Lagos airport in 2014. Those that ingested narcotics were 29 while 88
traffickers hid drugs in their luggage. 4 of the traffickers were caught in
connection with anal ingestion, 1 female suspect inserted drug in her vagina
and 1 other packed the drug on his body. The MMIA command also made the
following financial seizures. Twenty-four thousand, three hundred and sixty-two
($24, 362) dollars, twenty-three thousand four hundred and fifty (23,450)
Euros, ten thousand (10,000) Pound Sterling, two hundred and forty thousand
(N240,000) naira and one thousand, one hundred and forty (1,140) South African
Rand. In addition, 107 ATM cards and two hundred fifty-two thousand, five
hundred fake dollars were intercepted.
Speaking on the scorecard of the MMIA command in 2014, Chairman/Chief
Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade said that the Agency shall work round the
clock in addressing the problem of drug trafficking in the country. In his
words, “the NDLEA shall continue to work very hard in making the country
peaceful and drug-free. Efforts shall be intensified towards public
enlightenment on the dangers of drug production, trafficking and abuse. Let me
call on parents and guardians to educate their children on the benefits of
living a drug-free lifestyle”.
Giade urged commanders to step up security checks at the
airport and make it difficult for drug traffickers to penetrate all exit and
entry points.
Ofoyeju Mitchell, Head, Public Affairs, said the suspects
are facing trials in different courts in Lagos State.
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