Over 50 wraps of heroin weighing 781.2 grammes have been seized from a 23-year-old suspected drug trafficker, Okoguale Douglas at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, by men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
According to the Agency’s spokesman Femi Babafemi, Douglas excreted the wraps of illicit drugs substance while trying to board a Milan, Italy bound flight.
Douglas, who hails from Uromi in Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, during an outward clearance of Ethiopian airline flight number 910 at the boarding gate of the airport enroute Abuja-Addis Ababa- Milan (Italy) after being scanned, which proved positive for ingestion.
Under interrogation he claimed he has been residing in Italy since 2011 after entering the country via Libya with one of his uncles.
He said he works as a restaurant attendant in Italy where he earns 900 Euro per month and also works as a painter on his free days and gets about 400 Euro upon completion of any work.
The suspect also confessed that he was promised 2000 Euro if he successfully delivers the drug to Milan, Italy.
Douglas further explained that he came to Nigeria on April 4, 2021 for the burial of his late father in Esan, Edo State and after spending so much during the burial, he ran out of money, a situation that made him to ask for financial support from one of his Nigerian friends resident in Italy.
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He further claimed that his friend then told him he would send him money on the ground that he will collect a consignment for him from one other friend of his in Nigeria.
To facilitate that, he promised to send him a number to call.
He said contrary to the initial arrangement, he claimed he was called by a man on Thursday April 29, 2021 and asked him to come down to Abuja where he was picked by two other unknown men from Utako area and lodged in a hotel which he claimed he doesnt know the address.
The suspect also claimed that the two men brought the wrapped drug to him in a hotel on Friday night after which he swallowed the 59 pellets early on Saturday May 1st, 2021 and was promised 2000 Euro on successful delivery to Milan, Italy.
Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. General Buba Marwa (Rtd) charged the operatives to remain vigilant especially with the coming holidays to ensure that no single gramme of illicit drug is smuggled in or out of Nigeria.
( Editor, Omor Bazuaye)
