Nigeria: NDLEA Intercepts Spain-Bound Cocaine Concealed in Sandals

29 July 2024
This Day (Lagos)

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 50-year-old Spain-based businessman, Francis Akajiobi, with cocaine concealed in his sandals at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos.

NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi in a statement yesterday in Abuja, said that operatives of the agency apprehended the suspect at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the airport.

Babafemi said that parcels of cocaine weighing 1.20 kilogrammes were discovered in his pair of sandals while attempting to board his Royal Air Maroc flight to Madrid, Spain.

"The two parcels of cocaine were concealed in the soles of a pair of black sandals the suspect was wearing to board his flight when NDLEA operatives intercepted him on Thursday, July 25.

"During his preliminary interview, he claimed the consignment was delivered to him at a bar in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

"The suspect said he was to deliver it to his friend and neighbour in Spain for a fee of €5,000 upon successful delivery to the recipient," he said.

Also, a suspect: Lekan Makinde has been arrested in connection with the seizure of 99 parcels of Canadian

Loud.

Babafemi who described the drugs as a synthetic strain of marijuana, said it was weighing 51.60kg.

He said that the drugs had arrived the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Imports shed of the Lagos airport on a Turkish Airlines flight from Canada via Istanbul, Turkey.

Meanwhile, Babafemi said that operatives of a Special Operations Unit targeting syndicates that specialised in shipping large consignments of opioids into neighbouring countries have arrested one of the Kingpins, Chukwuemeka Obodozie.

Babafemi said that some of the targeted syndicates were arrested in attempts to smuggle drugs into Nigeria in smaller quantities through transport companies.

He said that the suspect was arrested in the early hours of Sunday, July 21, at Cele bus stop along Oshodi-Apapa express road, Lagos.

This, he said was after his arrival from Ghana via one of the transport companies plying the Lagos-Ghana route

He also said that the suspect was with 100,000 tablets of tramadol 225mg loaded in two bags shortly.

"The intelligence led operation followed five months of surveillance around Chukwuemeka," he said.

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