Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian, Mrs Anita Ugochinyere Ogbonna, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, with 100 pellets of cocaine concealed in her private part and handbag.
The spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said on Sunday in Abuja that the mother of three was arrested on Friday night on arrival in Abuja via Qatar Air from Sao Paulo, Brazil through Doha, Qatar.
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According to him, upon a proper search, 12 wraps of cocaine inserted in her private part were extracted while another 88 pellets stuffed in socks were discovered hidden in her handbag.
“During interrogation, Mrs Ogbonna, who is a mother of three children, all resident in Brazil, claimed she lost her husband three years ago.
“She confessed she decided to traffic the illicit drug to raise money for the burial of her father scheduled for 22nd July in Imo State.
“She said one Emeka, alias KC, also based in Brazil, gave her the drug to deliver in Nigeria for a fee of $3,000.
“She said she pushed the wraps of cocaine into her private part after her attempts to swallow the pellets failed.
“The suspect, who owns a shop where she sells African foodstuffs in Brazil, further claimed she had to drop her three young children with a Kenyan lady who is her neighbour in Brazil before she embarked on the quick-money-journey,” Babafemi said.
US, Australia bound drugs intercepted
Meanwhile, narcotic officers attached to a courier company in Lagos have intercepted 500grams of ketamine concealed in the walls of a wooden box filled with bitter kola that originated from Douala, Cameroon and heading to the United States of America; while another 500grams of methamphetamine hidden in automobile parts going to Australia were also seized at the firm.
Also, over 410kgs of assorted illicit drugs have been intercepted and seized by NDLEA operatives in Plateau and Kwara states.
A commercial bus, with registration number EKY 184 CQ Lagos, was intercepted in Plateau with Diazepam weighing 39kg; Exol-5 tablets weighing 35kg and 1.7kg of Flumtrazepam tablets discovered in the vehicle.
A follow-up operation led to the arrest of a drug dealer, Livinus Nnadi, at a Bauchi motor park on 26 June 2021 while on the same day, a blue Sharon minibus with registration number FKG 539 GR, going to Bauchi from Jos was also intercepted and 7.9kg of pentazocine injection recovered from it.
In a similar development, NDLEA operatives of the Kwara State command recovered 67.2kg of Tramadol heading to the Benin Republic at a checkpoint close to Ilesha in Osun State, while a 53-year-old suspected drug trafficker, Zakiru Abdullahi, was arrested on Ilorin-Jebba highway on Thursday 1 July, with 260kgs of pentazocine injection meant for Kaduna State.
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