Agency nabs 4 suspects with N61m narcotics

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja said it apprehended four suspected drug traffickers with 6.822kg of narcotics worth N61 million.

This is contained in a statement signed by the agency's spokesperson on Friday in Lagos, Mr Mitchell Ofoyeju.

''The seized drugs consist of 4.193kgs of heroin and 2.629kg of cocaine destined for Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, Birmingham, United Kingdom, Rome and Mumbai, India,'' the statement stated.

The statement also reported the NDLEA commander at Abuja airport, Mr Hamisu Lawan, as saying that those arrested were caught attempting to smuggle drugs out of the country.

One of them was arrested at the boarding gate of the airport after testing positive for drug ingestion while trying to board an Air France flight to the United Kingdom through Charles De Gaulle, Paris.

''While under observation, he excreted 30 wraps of cocaine weighing 479 grammes.

''He claimed that the drugs were given to him by a man he met at his village.

''Another suspect, a trader at Alaba International Market, Ojo, Lagos, was arrested while trying to check in a bag found to contain 2.8kg of heroin.

''The drug was cleverly concealed inside the passenger’s luggage.

''NDLEA agents made the discovery during screening of passengers on an Ethiopian airline flight to Rome via Addis Ababa.

Another was arrested with 2.150kg of cocaine at the screening point during checking in of passengers on a Kenyan airways flight to India through Nairobi.

''The last suspect ingested 65 wraps of heroine weighing 1.393 kg which he swallowed and attempted to export to Italy.

''He was arrested trying to board an Ethiopian Airline flight to Italy via Addis Ababa.''

The statement also reported the NDLEA Chairman, Mr Muhammad Abdallah, as saying that the Agency would investigate and arrest the sponsors of the suspects.

“My target is to trace the drug barons, arrest and prosecute everyone that is involved in the illicit act” Abdallah said.