Two suspected drug traffickers have excreted 191 pellets of heroin and cocaine while under observation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
The incidents were said to have taken place on April 10 and 16 after the suspected traffickers were arrested by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, MMIA Command.
On Friday, April 16, 2021, one Ezekiel Chibuzo, who arrived in Lagos from Brazil on board Qatar Airways, was arrested for drug ingestion.
“He has so far excreted 99 wraps of cocaine. This is just as officers at the export shed of the airport have seized 822.950kg of khat leaves heading for the UK and the US,” the NDLEA said in a statement on Sunday.
The agency said four clearing agents had been arrested in connection with the April 10 seizure of substances.
The spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said the incidents happened barely two weeks after a Madrid, Spain-bound suspected trafficker, Okonkwo Chimezie Henry, excreted 113 wraps of cocaine after his arrest at the MMIA, Lagos.
He stated, “On April 10, 2021, during the outward screening of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines to Italy, the NDLEA operatives at the MMIA intercepted and referred one Chukwudi Destiny for scanning and the scan result proved positive to drug ingestion.
“Consequently, he was placed under excretion observation and in the process, he excreted 92 pellets of heroin with a total weight of 1.300Kg.
“Also on April 12, 2021, during the inbound examination of consignments on Ethiopian Airlines cargo flight from South Africa, operatives at the SAHCO import shed made a seizure of 11.550kg of heroin cleverly packed and concealed in cornflakes’ cartons.
“Four clearing agents are in custody in connection with the seizure.”
The NDLEA Commander at the MMIA, Ahmadu Garba, said, “A sting operation was executed on the address provided by one of the suspects. In the process, a Congolese, Kayembe Kamba Mazepy, was arrested.
“After his arrest, he mentioned another person, who is to receive the parcel from him. On the strength of the information, another sting operation was conducted in the early hours of Saturday, April 17, 2021, where the person that came to take delivery was arrested.”
The Chairman/Chief Executive, NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers and men of the MMIA Command for their commitment to the nation’s crusade against illicit drugs.
“While I commend the officers and men of our MMIA Command, let me again warn unrepentant barons and traffickers that the game is up for them, because we’ll continue to disrupt their criminal trade as part of efforts to secure our country and protect the future of our youths,” Marwa was quoted as saying.
