Two drug dealers excrete 165 wraps of cocaine in NDLEA custody

• Agency seizes 2,293kg substances, cash in Rivers, Ogun, Enugu raids
• Intercepts consignments going to Australia, China, Qatar, Ireland, Thailand

A 53-YEAR-OLD drug trafficker, Elvis Uche Iro and 42-year-old Uwaezuoke Ikenna Christian have excreted a total of 165 wraps of cocaine after their arrests at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), for ingesting the illicit drug.

The duo excreted the drugs while under observation in the agency’s custody. Iro,  a father of four,  who  hails from Abiriba, Ohafia Local Council of Abia State was arrested on Saturday, March 19 upon his arrival on board Ethiopian Airline flight from Addis-Ababa for ingesting 65 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.376kg.

Spokesperson for the agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement, yesterday, said during preliminary interview, Iro claimed he’s an interior decorator, but had to go into drug trafficking because he needed money to start a coffee business, take care of his family and stock his newly acquired shop with curtain materials/accessories in Lagos.

He claimed he would have been paid $1,000 on successful delivery of the drug in Abuja. 42-year-old Christian, who was on the same flight, was arrested on arrival for ingesting 100 pellets of cocaine with a total weight of 2.243kg.

Christian, who hails from Ojoto, Idemili South Local Council of Anambra State, claimed he’s a businessman dealing in children’s clothes before venturing into drug trafficking.

During preliminary interview, he said he travelled to Addis Ababa on Thursday, March 17 to buy the drug for $10,000 and returned on Saturday, March 19, when he was arrested.

He said he sold his land in his village and took loans from friends to raise money to buy the drug. Christian also claimed that he had to go into drugs to raise money for his business after being duped of $15,000 by his friend who lives in China.

IN a related development, narcotic officers of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation (DOGI) have intercepted substantial quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and cannabis sativa packaged for export to Australia, China, Qatar, Ireland and Thailand through some courier companies in Lagos.

While 2.9kg of methamphetamine in packs of black soap and toner machine heading to Australia and Qatar was intercepted; 600grams of cocaine concealed in school certificates and file folders going to Australia and Thailand were equally seized.

According to Babafemi, no fewer than 25.5kg cannabis concealed in packs of Dudu Osun soap and tins of palm fruit extracts (banga) heading to China and Ireland were also seized at a courier company in Lagos.

Also, anti narcotic operatives recovered 2,293.324 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs during major raids in Ogun, Rivers and Enugu states in the past week.

In Rivers, operatives on Thursday, March 24, raided the notorious Abuja Water Front of Port Harcourt City following information provided by arrested suspects, on their sources of supply.

Three suspects, namely; Larry Samuel; Mark James and Happiness Joseph were arrested at the drug hub with 339.524kg of cannabis sativa, methamphetamine and tramadol seized and N791, 100 cash recovered from them, while another drug dealer in the area Uduak Paul Emmanuel, remains at large.

In Ogun, a 30-year-old lady, Peace Egidigbo, was arrested with 1863kg of cannabis sativa in Mowe, Obafemi/Owode Local Council on Wednesday, March 23, while no fewer than 150 blocks of cannabis weighing 90.800kg were seized from the cargo compartment of a bus owned by a transport company along Orji river via Onitsha Express road in Enugu State.

In his reaction, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and men of NAIA, DOGI, Rivers, Ogun and Enugu Commands for their diligence and vigilance. He charged them to always strive to raise the bar in their operational feats.