The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan woman at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, after allegedly discovering 87 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.15kg concealed around her pelvic region. The agency also intercepted 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol valued at N900 million and a consignment of cannabis at the airport.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, November 8, 2926, in Abuja. He said the woman had arrived in Nigeria on Oct. 29 with members of her church for a prayer session at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun, Lagos. According to Babafemi, she stayed behind after the delegation returned to Uganda to allegedly collect cocaine for a friend identified as Joy.
Babafemi said the woman was intercepted at the Terminal II screening point while preparing to board a flight to Uganda. A search led to the recovery of the 87 wraps, weighing 1.15kg, concealed beneath two layers of underwear. The suspect reportedly told investigators that a contact in Nigeria had delivered the drugs to her at a hotel and instructed her to conceal them. She allegedly expected to receive at least 1,000 dollars for delivering the consignment.
In a separate operation on Friday, NDLEA operatives intercepted 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 526kg and estimated to have a street value of 900 million naira. The consignment, which arrived from Ahmedabad, India, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on Nov. 3, was declared as Paracetamol 500mg. A joint examination with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies reportedly found the opioid tablets in 10 of 11 cartons, while the remaining carton contained paracetamol tablets.
The agency also intercepted 32 parcels of Loud, weighing 16.15kg, concealed inside two wooden sofas in a consolidated cargo from Houston, Texas, United States, aboard a Turkish Airlines flight. Babafemi said a freight agent who presented himself to clear the consignment was taken into custody. In a follow-up operation on Friday, Nov. 6, a 34-year-old caterer from Ibadan, Oyo State, who allegedly came to collect the package, was arrested. The suspect reportedly claimed he was acting on behalf of a friend.
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