Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted 22 blocks of heroin weighing 23.55kilograms concealed in packs of Nestle Cerelac baby food at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
The consignment with a street value of over N4.5billion came from Johannesburg, South Africa on board a South African Airways flight on Wednesday 29th June as part of a consolidated cargo that arrived the SAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport.
Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Babafemi said after series of follow up operations that led to the arrest of two freight agents, the actual receiver of the drug consignment, Chike Okeke Eweni who distributes the substance for his South Africa based partner was arrested the following day, Thursday 30th June at a logistics warehouse in Ajao Estate, Ikeja.
He said, Chike who hails from Anaocha LGA, Anambra state claimed during preliminary interview that he’s also into fish farming.
The statement reads, “Before the arrest of Chike, NDLEA officers at the airport had on Monday 27th June arrested a former driver with a public transport company, BRT, Muyiwa Babalola Bolujoko for ingesting 90 pellets of cocaine. He was arrested at the screening point before boarding a Qatar Airways flight en route Doha to Sharjah, with his trip expected to terminate in Dubai, UAE.
“The 39-year-old from Ijebu South LGA, Ogun State, was placed under excretion observation after body scan result confirmed drug ingestion. While in custody, the suspect excreted all the 90 pellets in four excretions. He claimed he left his N60, 000 per month job as BRT driver in February and decided to work as drug courier to raise funds to buy a shuttle bus popularly called ‘Korope’ in Lagos to continue his transport business.
“Operatives also on Thursday 30th June intercepted an inbound consignment of khat leaves, which arrived the NAHCO import shed of the Lagos airport on Royal Air Maroc flight from the Middle East. A total of 71 cartons of dried khat leaves with a gross weight of 2,434.3 kg were discovered in the cargo.
