The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has
arrested a 48-year-old businessman, Nwankwo Onyebuchi, after allegedly finding
1.550kg of cocaine concealed inside his luggage at the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport in Lagos.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said Onyebuchi, who
operates a marble business in Lagos, was arrested at the departure hall of
Terminal II while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to New Delhi,
India.
According to Babafemi, NDLEA officers searched the
suspect’s check-in luggage and discovered the cocaine concealed within the
walls and railings of the bag.
The agency said Onyebuchi reportedly admitted that he
had sold his marble business and other assets to raise N23 million to purchase
the consignment. He allegedly planned to sell the cocaine in India for as much
as N100 million.
The suspect remains in NDLEA custody and is expected
to face prosecution.
In a separate operation, the agency said its
operatives raided a warehouse located within a residential compound on Hakeem
Dosumu Street in the Ago Palace area of Okota, Lagos.
The raid, conducted between August 7 and 8, reportedly
led to the recovery of 3,776 cartons containing 377,600 bottles of
codeine-based syrup. The NDLEA valued the seized consignment at more than N2.6
billion.
The agency also reported another intelligence-led
operation at the residence of a suspected drug kingpin, 55-year-old Shoremi
Kayode, in Ipaja Estate, Lagos.
According to the NDLEA, officers recovered 324kg of
Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, with an estimated street value of
N972 million.
Two vehicles, a Mercedes-Benz and a Toyota Corolla,
were also reportedly recovered during the operation.
The NDLEA said the arrests and seizures were part of
its ongoing efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks and prevent illicit
substances from reaching local and international markets.
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