*Intercepts narcotics billed for US, China, UAE
*Recovers cocaine, heroin in monarch’s palace
*Anti-nacotic Commanders commended
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
A notorious drug trafficker, Hassan Bishi Taiwo, has been arrested by operatives of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), with three parcels of cocaine concealed in a false bottom created in his suitcase.
Mr. Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, made this known in a statement he sent to The DEFENDER on Monday.
Preliminary investigations, Babafemi said, revealed that Hassan, who was intercepted at the E-Arrival hall of the MMIA at the weekend upon arrival on board Ethiopian airlines at 1:30pm Friday, has been plying the illicit trade through the Middle East routes for sometime.
According to the Commander, MMIA Command of the Agency, Ahmadu Garba, “the suspect came in to Nigeria through Addis-Ababa but he actually travelled to Addis-Ababa from Abuja. Upon a thorough search, we discovered another ticket on him while our findings also show that he has been plying his criminal trade through some Middle East countries.”
In a related development, operatives of the Anambra State Command of the Agency have recovered 58.5 grammes of cocaine and 13.9 grammes of heroine concealed in the palace of a prominent traditional ruler in the state.
“Investigations are on-going to unravel how the illicit drugs were hidden in the palace and the palace security guards are helping in tracing the dealer behind the consignment”, Muhammadu Misbahu Idris, the Anambra State Commander of the NDLEA, stated.
In the same vein, narcotic officers attached to a courier company in Lagos have intercepted 500 grammes of unaccompanied cocaine going to the United Arab Emirate (UAE) and concealed inside the walls of packed cartons containing clothes.
“The operatives also intercepted in another courier firm one kilogramme of cannabis concealed in cream bottles going to UAE while 500 grammes of ketamine hidden in artefacts and going to the US was also recovered from the same company in Lagos.
Equally, another 480 grammes of unaccompanied methamphetamine going to China was recovered from the same courier campany.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) has, in the meantime, commended the Commanders, men and officers involved in the operations for their vigilance and charged them to continue with the vigour the offensive action maxim of the new leadership of the lead anti-drug agency.
