National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has arrested a suspected drug trafficker at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, for importing 92 wraps of cocaine.
Okolie Paulinus Nwabueze, a Brazilian returnee, ingested the wraps and excreted them after days of observation at the Agency’s facility.
According to NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, the 53-year-old trafficker and father of two was arrested upon his arrival on a Qatar Airline flight en route Brazil-Doha-Abuja.
He claimed to have moved from Nigeria to Mozambique in 2004 and then to Brazil in 2017, where he obtained a residency permit before deciding to import the illegal substance for a $4,000 fee.
Also, a 42-year-old man, Aliyu Bello Kwasare, was arrested at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA, Kano, for attempting to export a consignment of new psychoactive substance, Akuskura, to Saudi Arabia.
Mr Babafemi confirmed that the suspect was nabbed on Monday 5th September, 2022 during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline flight to Riyadh.
Giving a breakdown of illicit seized, the NDLEA spokesman said, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos, no fewer than One Million and Ninety Nine Thousand (1,099,000) tablets of Tramadol 225mg have been seized through inter-agency collaboration between NDLEA and the Nigerian Customs.
The pharmaceutical opioids packed in 50 cartons weighing 2,058.90kg, were imported from Pakistan via Addis-Ababa on Ethiopian Airways.
The consignment was concealed among other non-controlled pharmaceuticals.
Also, a freight agent, Aliyu Abubakar was on Friday 9th Sept. arrested at the NAHCO export shed of the airport over attempt to export a consignment of cannabis concealed inside bottles of Caro white body lotion.
RN