Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) yesterday at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos arrested two men in connection with unlawful exportation of narcotic drugs.
The first suspect was arrested with 3.700kg of narcotics hidden in a false bottom of luggage.
The drug, according to a statement by the Head, NDLEA Public Affairs, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, was detected during the outward clearance of Arik Air passengers to Monrovia.
The second suspect, Ifeanyi Okafor, was arrested with two kilogrammes of cannabis concealed in dried bitter leaf during the search of goods meant for export on board Qatar airline flight.
The statement reads: “A 53-year-old Obianwo Josiah Okwuchukwu concealed 1.700kg of methamphetamine in his luggage on his way to Monrovia, Liberia, while Ifeanyi Okafor, 38, concealed 2kg of dried weeds that tested positive for cannabis sativa in a bag containing dried bitter leaf meant for export to Doha, Qatar.
“Both suspects, who are from Anambra State, have claimed ownership of the drugs. They also stated in their confessional statements that they were enticed by the monetary reward offered by their sponsors.”
According to NDLEA, Okwuchukwu, who claimed to have lived in Monrovia for the past five years, said that he worked in a cinema in order to sustain himself and family.
He was quoted as saying: “My problem began when I lost all my savings to the war in Sierra Leone. I have been living from hand to mouth. My situation was bad that I agreed to smuggle the drugs for $2,000.”
Obianwo has a wife and four children living in Lagos.
The other suspect, Okafor, said that he lost $87,000 to fraudsters.
He said: “I am an importer of baby clothes. My business was flourishing until I lost $87,000 to fraudsters. In fact, I am yet to recover from that tragic incident that reduced me into a beggar. I was smuggling the 2kg of cannabis for a fee of $1,400. It was carefully packaged, but unfortunately the officers detected it.”
Reacting to the arrests, NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, said that stiffer penalty is one of the effective strategies of drug control.
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