Fake Alhaja in cocaine scam at airport

Emeka Ibemere

If the way one dresses is the way she is addressed, then she could have walked away with her luggage stuffed with illicit drugs. How?

Her appearance cut a picture of an innocent angel on arrival from a religious obligation while her accent was so melodious, that you could mistake her for one of the Michael Jackson’s female singers.

Even, her explanation to what led her act the way she acted could make a judge sent her free from her crimes. But those who are expert in crime bursting knew that the hood doesn’t make the mock and all that glitters is not gold.

So, when Burundian woman wrapped herself in a religious garb to enter Nigeria, a country holding an all time record, as the most religious country in the world, she did it to play on the religious sentiments of those at the Airport.

That was how Uwimana Aisha, 38 years old Burundian woman cart-walked into the waiting arm of the operatives of the NDLEA while trying to escape from arrest immediately she arrived Nigeria with 2.390kg of heroin in her possession.

While in Tanzania, she was of the thought that with Hamza Umar, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Airport Commander of the NDLEA, sharing the same religious name with her, that the road to ferry her illicit wares would have been easy to pass through. But she was mistaken not to have known that in security duties there are no religious sisterhood. Her arrival coincided with the arrival of two detectives from Switzerland Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP), on a drug control cooperation mission in Nigeria.

The suspect who boarded Air-Rewane from Tanzania was apprehended by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, and Lagos State.

Her arrest followed the detection of 2.390kg of heroin in her possession. A competent source said the suspect on immediately landing at the MMIA, used her Hijab and covered the face so as to look innocent from being searched at the airport.

The male operatives was said to have cornered her to a corner and handed her over to a female operatives who took her to a private chamber meant for the screening of female suspects at the arrival hall for screening.

After frisking of her hand luggage which she reluctantly allowed for screening, a substance suspected to be heroin was discovered from her.

The substances were buried inside her luggage to evade detection and her mode of dressing was meant to evade suspicion of the preying eyes of the security men at the airport. NDLEA Airport Commander, Mr. Hamza Umar stated that the suspect concealed the drug in her hand luggage.

He said. “A Burundian by name, Uwimana Aisha had in her hand luggage two parcels of powdery substance that tested positive for heroin weighing 2.390kg. The case is under investigation,” Hamza stated.

 It was gathered that she was shocked when the items were being brought out of her luggage. Aisha was not forthcoming with the owner of the luggage and bluntly refused to give out the name of the man she said was her boy friend that gave her the drugs.

But in her statement before her captors, the suspect claimed the bag was given to her by her boyfriend.

“My Nigerian boyfriend gave me the bag in Tanzania. He promised to marry me and take care of my only daughter”, she state. “We were to come to Nigeria together but he later said that he will join me the following day. I trusted him because he was nice to me,”

Aisha’s trust to her boyfriend has kept her in a condition of agonizing struggle or trouble for freedom she loves enjoying.

Now, the so-called boy friend has switched off his phones and is out of reach. While at the National Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), shed where Aisha was first detained, the suspect is regretting her involvement in the drug peddling deal in Nigeria. Aisha is expected to be arraigned next week in court after the conclusion of the investigations on her.

NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Ahmadu Giade reaffirmed the Agency’s resolve in counter-narcotic operations through effective collaboration. Giade who spoke while receiving two Swiss investigators, Carlo Crespi and Daniel Mona said that the global counter-narcotics campaign demands both local and international partnership.

“Nigeria’s drug control scorecard today is enviable on account of our determination to partner with other stakeholders. The sophistication of drug trafficking cartels demands that nations should join forces against transnational crimes like drug trafficking, money laundering and human trafficking”, Giade stated.

“It enhances exchange of intelligence, capacity building and use of improved technology in crime control”.

The NDLEA boss added that about 20 NDLEA officers have been trained in Switzerland under the project.

According to him, “No fewer than 20 NDLEA officers have gone to Switzerland under this cooperation. We hope to partner with other countries and further enlarge our drug control capacity”.

He added. “We cannot sit and fold our hands while criminals are devising ways of trafficking narcotics across the globe. This cooperation project will enhance exchange of intelligence as well as capacity building. It will also promote the use of high technology in counter-narcotics operations”.

Giade thanked the Switzerland Government for donating forensic protective kits to the Agency and expressed optimism that similar cooperation will be extended to other countries.

“We are thankful to the Switzerland Government for the training and logistic support to the Agency. We hope to partner with other countries because of the numerous benefits of this Nigeria-Switzerland project. The cooperation covers the entire gamut of drug control” Giade stated

Speaking on the benefits of the cooperation, Carlo Crespi stated that both countries would be better positioned to confront drug trafficking cartels.

“This cooperation is mutually beneficial to both countries. The government of Switzerland is pleased to partner with Nigeria in drug control and more officers from Switzerland will come to Nigeria by the first quarter of 2014” Carlo stated.

NDLEA officers who travelled to Switzerland received training in forensic analysis and clandestine laboratory operations. As part of the training, they were taken to Netherland where they witnessed the decommissioning of a clandestine laboratory.

Just two weeks ago, a NDLEA launched project called AIRCOP at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) which has been linked with 10 International Airports around the globe for real time exchange of intelligence. This followed the successful launch of Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP) at the Lagos airport on Monday November 4, 2013.

The project is jointly supported by the Nigerian Government, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Canadian Government, European Union, United States, INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO).

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade during the inauguration ceremony of the Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) said the journey towards this laudable project was born out of the desire to make the airport more impregnable to drug barons.

“The government of Nigeria in search of how to make our airports more impregnable to drug barons had on 13th October 2010 entered into an Agreement with the UNODC Regional Office for West and Central Africa. The project provides secure and direct connections with vetted units in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and Latin America” the Chairman stated.

The thirty-six member Joint Task force (JAITF) headed by NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr Hamza Umar has its membership drawn from NDLEA, Customs Service, Police, Immigration and Department of State Security. They have also undergone a specialized training in preparation for the onerous task ahead.

Giade who was represented by his Special Assistant, Mr Suleiman Ningi said that the project will increase drug interdiction capacity at the airport. In his words, “the connection of Lagos Airport to International database and communication networks will facilitate real time transmission and exchange of intelligence among members. This will empower our country to intercept illicit shipment of drugs, materials as well as curtail transnational crime”.

UNODC representative who is the Project coordinator, Mr Marc Vanhulle said the project is targeted at covering the entire trans-Atlantic route for trafficking drugs from Latin America to Europe through Africa. “West Africa is recognized as a transit area for cocaine trafficking between Latin America and Europe. More recently, the area has also become a centre for methamphetamine production and has been increasing drug use locally” Vanhulle stated.

According to Vanhulle, “an integrated regional approach like project AIRCOP is critical in addressing the borderless threats of drugs and crime. A regional response also helps to ensure that as enforcement and criminal justice succeeds in one place, the problems are not merely displaced from one place to another”.

The initial training was done by experts from the Belgian Federal Police and the British Border Force. Already, during a pilot test operation, 8 arrests in six cases involving heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine were recorded.

Giade who described the result as very encouraging assured Nigerians of improved drug control techniques. “The Agency will continue to embrace innovative strategies and programmes targeted at advancing our performance. AIRCOP is also a unifying force that promotes inter-Agency collaboration because its membership is drawn from various security Agencies”.

 The NDLEA boss called on the Task Force members to justify the confidence reposed in them.  Some benefits of AIRCOP include information sharing, coordination of counter-narcotic operations, full access to international criminal databases, crime alerts as well as analytical tools provided by INTERPOL.

However, one other drug trafficker arrested has revealed that his life was in danger for excreting drugs he ingested at the airport in Doha. The suspect who was arrested along other three suspects was apprehended at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos for ingesting 161 wraps of narcotics weighing 3.085kg. Two of the suspects were importing the drugs into the country while one was caught attempting to export the drugs to London. One of the suspects alleged that drug barons were after his life for excreting the drugs he ingested at the airport toilet in Doha.

NDLEA Airport commander, Mr Hamza Umar who confirmed the arrests gave the names of the suspects as Elioku Simeon Chibuzor, 28, Ogbu Obioma Leonard, 37 and Uzobude Vitus Uju, 43yrs.  According to Hamza, “Elioku ingested six wraps of cocaine from Brazil weighing 0.095kg, Ogbu ingested 1.175kg of heroin from Pakistan and Uzobude with dual citizenship of Nigeria and Germany ingested 100 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.815kg on his way to London”.

The 28 year old suspect, who is an auto parts dealer, Elioku Simon Chibuzor said that he ingested 80 wraps of drugs but he excreted the drug in Doha. He was arrested during the inward screening of passengers on Qatar airline flight. While on observation, Elioku excreted 6 wraps of powdery substances that tested positive for cocaine weighing 95 grammes.

“They promised to pay me $2,000 to smuggle the drugs from Brazil to Doha. When I got to Doha, the person who ought to collect the drug from me failed to show up. It was for fear of being caught that made me to dispose the drugs at the airport toilet. I never knew that six wraps were left in my stomach. Now, I have been arrested and the owners of the drugs are after my life” Elioku lamented. He hails from Anambra State.

Ogbu Obiora Leonard who hails from Enugu State ingested 55 wraps of heroin in Pakistan weighing 1.175kg. According to Ogbu, “I went to Islamabad in March 2012 to work and earn a good living. Unfortunately, my situation became worse because I was jobless. It was so bad that I was looking for money to come back home. That was how I made up my mind to smuggle drugs. They promised to pay me six hundred thousand naira (N600, 000)” Ogbu stated.

Uzobude Vitus who hails from Anambra State ingested 100 wraps weighing 1.815kg said that frustration and lack of money made him to smuggle drugs.  “I was promised 3,000 pounds to smuggle drugs to London. I lived in Germany for 15 years. I relocated to London four years ago but it was frustration that made me to traffic in drugs” Uzobude stated.

Speaking on the arrest, NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade said that no criminal will go unpunished. “We are prepared to stop drug traffickers. No criminal will go unpunished. Members of the public should please continue to provide information about drug traffickers to the Agency” Giade stated.