National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs especially cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and ephedrine heading to Dubai, UAE and Europe through various disingenuous modes of concealment by desperate drug cartels via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja, Lagos.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi said the agency also arrested a suspect based in Athens, Greece, Iwuozor Edward Chinedu in connection with the consignments.
He was debarked from an Ethiopian airline flight on Friday February 3, 2033 after officers in the tarmac team of NDLEA intercepted two bags during a secondary check exercise at the foot of the aircraft.
When the bags were searched in the presence of Chinedu and other airport stakeholders, two big pellets wrapped with foil papers and some sprinkles of pepper were recovered from each of the two sides of one of the bags.
The pellets were used to construct false walls at the sides of the bag.
He said the two parcels contained substances that tested positive to cocaine and heroin with a gross weight of 1.30kgs and 900grams respectively.
The NDLEA said during preliminary interview, Chinedu claimed he came to Nigeria three months ago to do a surgery, which he was not comfortable doing in Athens.
He claimed that he was given the bag to deliver in Greece for a fee of N2million.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO export shed of the airport on Monday January 30, arrested a pregnant woman, Mrs Sylvester Gloria Onome after 800 grammes of skunk were discovered concealed in two small radio sets she was sending to Dubai, United Arab Emirate.
On the same day, operatives also intercepted a consignment going to Congo Kinshasa, containing 111 bottles of body cream that were used to conceal 24.50kgs of ephedrine, a chemical precursor and active ingredient to produce methamphetamine.
The cargo was later traced to a trader at Alaba trade fair complex, Ojo area of Lagos, Onyekachukwu Uduekwelu after the initial arrest of two freight agents.
Another housewife, Mrs Okpara Chizoba Victoria was arrested at her residence at 37 Obashola street, Ijesha area of Lagos on Friday January 27, following the seizure of 300grams of skunk hidden in a bag of crayfish she was sending to Dubai, UAE through a freight agent.