*Intercepts N22.7bn Worth Of Opioids At Lekki, Apapa, Onne Seaports
BY GODWIN IJEDIOGOR
OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja in Lagos State, have arrested a Thailand returnee, Oguejiofor Nnaemeka SimonPeter for importing 13.30 kilogrammes of heroin worth over N3.192billion.
In a releted development, their counterparts at three seaports intercepted large consignments of opioids with a combined monetary value of N22,740,958,000.
According to a statement by the Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Oguejiofor was arrested on Monday, October 7, while attempting to smuggle the illicit drug, concealed in six backpacks and then packed into two big suitcases, out of the airport.
He said the 29-year-old graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University in Uli, Anambra State, had left Thailand on October 3, aboard Qatar Airways flight and stopped over in Doha, where he spent two days before heading to Lagos, while his luggage was routed to Accra, Ghana, his original destination.
“After arriving Lagos on October 5, he contacted the airline to reroute his luggage to Nigeria, so that he can pick them up as rush bags in a bit to beat security checks.
“However, NDLEA officers intercepted him at the point of exit. A search of his two suitcases revealed three empty backpacks in each box with a large parcel of heroin neatly sewn to all the six backpacks. The six parcels were subsequently recovered with a gross weight of 13.30kg.
“In his statement, Oguejiofor claimed he was hired for a fee of $7,000 upon successful delivery of the parcels. He said he was to deliver two parcels in Lagos and the other four parcels in Accra,” the statement explained.
At the Lekki Deep Seaport, Apapa Seaport in Lagos and Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers State, operatives intercepted a total of 32,607,900 pills of tramadol, worth over N12,577,000,000, and 1,451,994 bottles of codeine-based syrup, with a street value of N10,163,958,000.
The combined monetary value of the seized opioids was put at N22,740,958,000.
Babafemi said the illicit consignments were seized from containers watch listed by NDLEA based on intelligence and processed for 100 percent joint examination with men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies at the three seaports between Monday, October 7 and Friday, October 11.
