A plumber, Ogu Okechukwu, has been apprehended by
operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, for the importation of
945grammes of cocaine. In a statement by the NDLEA Head of Public Affairs,
Mitchell Ofoyeju, on Thursday, Okechukwu was said to have ingested 57 wraps of
cocaine which was detected at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport,
Lagos.
The suspect, who was on his way back from Brazil, was
arrested during the inward screening of passengers on an Etihad flight from Abu
Dhabi. The NDLEA Airport Commander, Hamza Umar, said the cocaine wraps were
packed into male condoms. He said, “Okechukwu excreted 57 wraps of powdery
cocaine packed inside male condoms and sealed with cello-tape.
“It is a dangerous practice because many drug traffickers
have died as a result of leakage in such wraps of narcotics.” The suspect in
his confessional statement claimed he was lured into drug trafficking because
of his inability to pay his rent of N150,000. Okechukwu said, “I am a plumber.
I am married with two children and my wife just delivered our second baby. I
had no money to pay my rent of N150,000.
“I was introduced to drug trafficking in my search for
funds; I was to get N300,000 to bring the drug from Brazil. My travel expenses
were sponsored. “While in Brazil, I was given 100 wraps of drugs to swallow but
I could only take 57 because it was my first time and it was not easy to
ingest. I am unhappy that I involved myself in this.”
NDLEA Chairman, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, advised members of the
public to avoid crime and promote societal peace. He said, “I call on members
of the public to shun criminal acts such as drug trafficking and money
laundering. “The NDLEA will continue to adopt measures aimed at frustrating the
activities of drug syndicates in the country. In addition to arrest, drug
traffickers shall be diligently prosecuted and made to forfeit all ill-gotten
proceeds of drugs.
“No drug trafficker shall go unpunished. The suspect will
be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations.”
Source: Punch
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