Thursday, 5 June 2014

Foreign students join drug cartel in Nigeria








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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