NDLEA Intercepts Businessman with Cocaine-Laced Shirts from Brazil, Arrests Drug Suspects Across States
Oru Leonard
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 6.10 kilograms of liquid cocaine concealed in shirts and towels imported from Brazil.
The suspect, 41-year-old Abugu Oliver Ikechukwu, was arrested on Thursday, June 11, upon arrival from São Paulo via Addis Ababa aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight. NDLEA operatives discovered 14 shirts and towels soaked in liquid cocaine, dried and carefully ironed to evade detection during a thorough search of his luggage.
According to the agency, the suspect claimed he had lived in Brazil for over 14 years where he operates an African restaurant and had travelled to Nigeria to visit his wife and purchase food items for his business.
In a related development, NDLEA arrested two persons living with disabilities for alleged involvement in drug trafficking. In Abia State, 60-year-old Chidimma Sunday was handed over to the agency after being apprehended by a local vigilante group with 1.8 kilograms of skunk in Isialangwa North Local Government Area. In Rivers State, 28-year-old Abubakar Usman was arrested in Port Harcourt with skunk, methamphetamine, tramadol, swinol, and diazepam.
The agency also recorded significant seizures in several states. In Delta State, operatives recovered 2.8 kilograms of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, concealed in gas cylinders. Two suspected drug dealers were arrested in Gombe with 2.738 kilograms of skunk.
In Kano, a suspect was intercepted with 6,000 tramadol pills, while in Kwara State, NDLEA officers seized 304 kilograms of skunk concealed in a Toyota jeep and arrested two suspects.
A major operation in Taraba State led to the recovery of 1,121.5 kilograms of cannabis from a warehouse linked to a suspected dealer. In Abuja, NDLEA operatives seized large quantities of tramadol, pregabalin, molly, and codeine syrup from a suspect along the Gwagwalada expressway.
In Lagos, the agency recovered 1,102 kilograms of Ghana Loud around the Alaba International Market area.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers involved in the operations and urged commands nationwide to sustain the momentum in drug supply reduction and anti-drug abuse advocacy campaigns across communities and schools.
