The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested a Delhi, India-bound passenger at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja on March 31 for ingesting 80 wraps of cocaine.

Its spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi stated on Sunday in Abuja that the passenger was to board a Doha-bound flight en-route Delhi using a Liberian passport with the name: Carr Bismark, when he was arrested.

A body scan on the suspect revealed the ingestion of the illicit drugs, he explained.

Babafemi added that preliminary checks showed the passenger’s real name to be Freeman Ogbonna.

The NDLEA placed the passenger under observation and in a short while he started to manifest signs of discomfort.

“Obviously choked by the volume of illicit drugs in his stomach and another substance taken to hold back excretion, the suspect soon began to retch, vomited and excreted wraps of cocaine simultaneously.

“The suspect who claimed he was recruited into drug trafficking by one of his relatives, eventually passed out a total of 80 wraps of cocaine.

“He vomited or excreted the drugs, weighing 889gms over a period of four days.

“The great risk almost took his life.

“Ogbonna said he was given the drugs to swallow at a hotel in Ikeja with a promise of N300,000 reward if he successfully delivers the consignment in India,’’ Babafemi stated.

Also on April 3, the NDLEA arrested a drug mule at the airport on his way to Oman.

Its operatives discovered a false bottom in his backpack and on the sides concealing illicit drugs and also swiftly moved in on a man who accompanied the suspect to the airport.

The second man was later discovered to have been the one who recruited the passenger to traffic the drugs.

“The suspect said he returned from Dubai some years ago, but still had a valid residence permit on his passport.

“He claimed he was promised N1.5 million if he successfully delivered the consignment in Oman, while his recruiter, was to be paid N200,000.

“A charm was found in one of the passenger’s bags when they were searched and another was found on his person.

“The drug mule confessed that he travelled to Ibadan earlier where a cleric made the charms for him to evade arrest during the trip.

“Another charm was found on the recruiter who claimed the charms were procured at a cost of N70,000,’’ Babafemi added.

On another development, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), says it has intercepted 2,144 parcels of Colorado, a synthetic strain of hemp, weighing 1,072kg at the Tincan Seaport Lagos.

A statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja, said that NDLEA operatives seized the consignment on Wednesday April 3.

Babafemi said that the seizure was made during a joint examination with Customs Service and other stakeholders at the Port.

He said the container was marked GAOU 6699215 and was coming from Montreal, but originated from Toronto, Canada.

According to him, the drugs packed in 46 jumbo bags were found concealed in used 2009 Lexus RX 350, 2011 Toyota Sienna, and 2009 Lexus ES 350.

He added that they were also concealed in used engines, automobile doors, tyres, and used household goods as well as big drums loaded into the container.

Meanwhile, in Kano, a 48-year-old suspect, Gidado Sani, who jumped the bail granted him by a Federal High Court in Kano on drug offence charges, was on Friday, April 5, re-arrested in the Sharada area of the state.

Babafemi said that the suspect was with 85 blocks of hemp weighing 50.1kg.

Also, NDLEA operatives in Ogun state on Thursday, April 4, arrested another suspect, Wasiu Jimoh, during a raid operation at Ilese Awo, with 84 parcels (62kg) of hemp.

In another development, Operatives in Lagos, on Wednesday April 3, intercepted a suspect, Emeka Umeh,, with 506.2kg of hemp at Igbede, Ojo area of the state.

“Another suspect, Victor Okeke was nabbed on Friday April 5, at Igbo Elerin, Ojo, with 142 grams of hemp and 175 litres of skuchies recovered from him.

“Attempt by 35-year-old Ifeanyi Udogwu to smuggle 1.5kg cocaine concealed in music speakers from Lagos through Aba, Abia state to his uncle, Ifeanyi Udogwu based in Cameroon was thwarted on Wednesday April 3.

“This was when NDLEA officers working in collaboration with a transport company, Young Shall Grow Motors, arrested him,” Babafemi said.

Culled from Daily Times Nigeria