Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed the arrest of four persons on Thursday, with illegal substances allegedly intended to be smuggled to Saudi Arabia.

Babafemi said that the NDLEA has received maximum collaboration from the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to ensure no Nigerian sneaks out of the country with prohibited substances to Saudi Arabia.

The suspects were apprehended when operatives raided the Emerald Hotel in the Ladipo area of Oshodi, Lagos State, where the suspects were lodged and caught ingesting wraps of cocaine ahead of their departure to Saudi Arabia.

According to the narcotics agency, those arrested during the intelligence-led operation include Usman Kamorudeen, 31; Olasunkanmi Owolabi, 46; Fatai Yekini, 38; and a woman, Ayinla Kemi, 34.

“The four suspects were lodged in two rooms in the hotel where they had prepared 200 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.20 kilograms to swallow when NDLEA officers stormed their rooms.

“One hundred wraps of the Class A substance were recovered from each of the two rooms bringing the total seizure to 200 wraps. Two suspects were to swallow 100 wraps each.”

Commending the Commander, officers, and men of the Lagos State Command of NDLEA, which conducted the operation, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), said the agency will continue to spread its dragnet to track, trace, and apprehend criminal elements who may want to hide under pilgrimage to carry out their nefarious activities capable of denting the image of the country.

The NDLEA boss said, “The Agency will work with our counterparts in Saudi Arabia to ensure that the designated recipients of seized illicit drug consignments in any part of Saudi Arabia are also traced and dealt with accordingly.

In the extremely conservative society of Saudi Arabia, drug trafficking is highly prohibited.

The penalty for conviction is the death sentence.