Emeka
Ibemere
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
has foiled a drug syndicate masterminded by a Malian national, Kone Ali, a
businessman and student at Guangdong University of Technology, China.
He was found with a student identification card of
Guangdong University of Technology, China. The suspect is 22 years old.
The suspect holds dual citizenship of Nigeria and
Mali and was in possession of compressed cannabis weighing 4kg. Daily Newswatch
investigations revealed the foreigners have been trafficking drugs in the past
three five months including college students.
The recent suspect has been remanded at the
National Aviation Handling Company, NAHCO, at the Murtala Mohammed
International Airport Cargo Shed to assist investigations.
Kone Ali was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport (MMIA), Lagos while attempting to board a Kenyan Airways
flight to China. The cannabis was hidden inside foodstuff like melon, dried
bitter leaf and assorted local spices.
The alleged suspect was studying Chinese language
and was travelling with a Malian international passport No.B0563273, as at the
time of his arrest. According to his investigators, the suspect revealed to
them that his Nigerian friend whom he gave his name as Ebuka Onyedigbo, from
Okija, Anambra State gave him the drugs found in his possession.
It was
further discovered that Ali has lived in Guangzhou, China since March 2013.
Explaining how Ali was apprehended, NDLEA commander
at the MMIA Lagos airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, said that the suspect was nabbed
while trying to check in his luggage.
“The arrest of Kone Ali by NDLEA officers took
place at the departure hall of the Lagos Airport when he brought two bags for
check. The first bag was searched and no drug was found. While searching the
second bag, it was discovered that five compressed parcels of dried weeds that
tested positive for cannabis were packed together with foodstuff,” Hamza
stated.
In his statement, Ali blamed his arrest on his
friend.
“I am a victim of carelessness. My friend in China
called me that I should bring a bag containing foodstuff from Nigeria. I had
every opportunity to have turned down his request, so I take full
responsibility for my actions”, he added. “A man who identified himself as a
Ghanaian brought the bag to me in Lagos. He said that he was instructed by my
friend in China to bring the bag. At the screening, the drug was found by NDLEA
officers. Now I cannot go back to my school and my parents are angry with me,”
Kone stated.
Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade
said that the suspect has violated the provisions of the NDLEA Act. “It is
pertinent to stress the position of the law on unlawful possession and attempt
to export illicit drugs. The fact is that drug was found in his bag”, he
disclosed.
“Investigation is ongoing and I urge members of the
public not to collect bags or items from people when travelling. If they must
collect bags, they should insist that the owners must witness the search at the
airport,” Giade cautioned.
Ofoyeju Mitchell, the Spokesman for the NDLEA said
the suspect would soon be charged to court.
As that wasn’t enough, patient medicine dealer in
Onitsha, Anambra State was also arrested by the agents of NDLEA, with 2.540kg
of cocaine hidden inside laptop bags.
The suspect was found in possession of the drug
during inward screening of Etihad passengers at the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.
Confirming the arrest, NDLEA, Hamza Umar gave the
name of the suspect as Okeke Olisa Uzochukwu. He said. “Officers apprehended
one Okeke Olisa Uzochukwu in connection with importation of cocaine. The drug
was concealed inside laptop bags. It was carefully packed in a way that we had
to cut the side of the bag open to recover the two parcels containing powdery
substances that tested positive for cocaine.”
The 39-year-old suspect told investigators that he
travelled to Brazil in search of job before his arrest.
“I travelled to Brazil five months ago to work at
the world football event facilities under construction. My journey turned out
to be a nightmare because I could not secure a job. After I exhausted my little
savings, life became very unbearable. The only help available was drug
trafficking”, he said. “It was a hard decision for me but since my pregnant
wife is almost due for delivery, I reluctantly accepted an offer of eight
hundred thousand (N800, 000) naira from my sponsors.” Okeke is from Anambra
State.
Ahmadu Giade of the anti-narcotic agency urged
members of the public to support the agency by sending useful information on
suspected drug traffickers.
“I urge
members of the public to stay away from drugs and provide information on
suspected drug traffickers. They should also avoid circumstances that will make
them get involved in narcotic smuggling. Spending five months searching for job
in Brazil at the detriment of his business and family at home was certainly
ill-advised,” Giade stated.
The suspect has been transferred to the Ikoyi
office of the agency for trial.
Recently, NDLEA at the Akanu Ibiam International
Airport (AIIA) Enugu, said they arrested two foreigners with narcotic drugs as
suspected drug barons allegedly shift attention to the newly opened AIIA,
Enugu.
The two suspected drug traffickers were caught
during inward and outward screening of Ethiopian airline passengers. The list
containing the names of the suspect is: 54-year-old Ghanaian comedian, Musah
Iddrisu aka Charles Udunehi who bought drugs for $19,000 and a 20-year-old
citizen of Congo DRC, Inana Cedrick who claimed to be a secondary school
student in Tanzania.
The NDLEA Commander at the Enugu Airport,
Nsikak-Abasi Udoh said that Inana Cedrick was caught with 1.500kg of heroin
while Musah Iddrisu was found to have ingested 450 grammes of cocaine.
“The
Ghanaian comedian ingested 450 grammes of cocaine on his way to Thailand while
the student from Congo DRC imported 1.500kg of heroin into the country. We have
also apprehended a Nigerian by name John Obi Nwadilichukwu who was to receive
the student, collect the drug and pay him for smuggling the drug,” Nsikak-Abasi
stated.
Officials were alleged to have detected the 1.500kg
of heroine hidden inside a luggage during inward screening of passengers on an
Ethiopian airline flight.
Daily Newswatch gathered that during interrogation,
Inana revealed that he was given the drug by a Nigerian woman at Nairobi to
deliver to her husband in Enugu.
“I was given
the drug in Nairobi by a Nigerian woman who told me to give the drug to her
husband, John Obi Nwadilichukwu who resides in Enugu. I wanted to use the money
they promised to pay me in buying beads for sale in Tanzania. I am a secondary
school student from a poor home,” he stated.
On his own, the Ghanaian comedian, Musah Iddrisu
aka Charles Udunehi, revealed that he wanted to sell drugs in Thailand.
“I am a Ghanaian and a comedian by profession. I
got involved in drug trafficking because of my financial predicament. I bought
the drugs in Ghana, ingested it and came to Enugu airport. As a new airport, I
felt the security will not be like other airports but I was caught. I regret my
action,” Musah stated.
Also in the same month, another suspected student
drug cartel, a Pakistani student was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport (MMIA), Lagos by operatives of the NDLEA. The drug was
discovered in the suspect’s luggage during inward screening of passengers on
board Qatar airline flight.
NDLEA’s preliminary investigation showed that the
suspect left Lahore, Pakistan with the drugs to Abu Dhabi to Doha, from where
he connected to Lagos, Nigeria.
Investigations revealed that the arrested suspect
was believed to be working for a Pakistani drug cartel, which has a link in
Nigeria. “This is the largest single seizure of heroin made at the Lagos
airport since January, 2014”, Ofoyeju Mitchell stated.
However, the NDLEA Commander at the MMIA Lagos
Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar gave the name of the Pakistani as Iftikihar Muhammed
Arslan. He said. “A 19-year-old
Pakistani by name Iftikihar Muhammed Arslan was found in possession of 25
parcels of brownish substance that tested positive for heroin weighing 25.400kg
at the arrival hall. The drug was hidden in a smaller bag inside his luggage”.
The commander noted that the suspect is cooperating with the Agency’s team of
investigators.
The Pakistani, national speaks English fluently
without interpreter and has volunteered in his statement that he came to the
country as tourist. “I am a student of
Punjab College and I am in Nigeria as a tourist because my friend told me that
Victoria Island and Ikoyi are beautiful tourist centres. Unfortunately, when I
arrived at the Lagos airport, the heroin was found in my luggage. This is my
first time of coming to Nigeria and I had intended to spend a week or two,”
Iftikihar told investigators.
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