Drugs: Civil society wants luggage cards for pilgrims, tight screening

The Independent Hajj Reporters has urged the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to introduce luggage cards for all Nigerian pilgrims departing the country to Saudi Arabia for hajj and lesser hajj.

The civil society which monitors hajj activities in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia said the cards became necessary because of the recent discovery by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of a cartel that specializes in planting illicit drugs in travelers’ luggage.

A statement by the civil society’s national coordinator Ibrahim Muhammed and publicity secretary Abubakar Mahmoud said the cards will record the number of luggage each pilgrim has and to record the content before departure.

The drugs agency’s operation led to the arrest of an eight member-cartel at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Kano, who planted drugs on a piece of luggage tagged in a name of a pilgrim, who was arrested by the Saudi Arabian authorities in December 2018.

The agency said the pilgrim who, like her mother and sister, had only a suitcase, was not aware that a second bag had been labelled in her name.

“The new devilish tricks employed by drugs cartel demand immediate response to avoid further harm to the image of our country and killing of innocent souls,” Independent Hajj Reporters said.

It also called for a review of pre-departure onshore pilgrims luggage screening to foreclose any gap that may be exploited by the unscrupulous elements.

The civil society said the new luggage cards will be given to each pilgrim at the point of screening to fill, and local pilgrims’ officers can be detailed to collect the cards’ photocopies and submit to the airlines.