The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian with 100 pellets of cocaine concealed in her private part and handbag at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.
Mr Femi Babafemi, Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, said this in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said the suspect, Mrs Anita Ugochinyere Ogbonna, a mother of three, was arrested on Friday night on arrival in Abuja via Qatar Air from Sao Paulo, Brazil through Doha.
He said upon a proper search, 12 wraps of cocaine inserted in her private part were extracted, while another 88 pellets stuffed in socks were discovered hidden in her handbag.
According to him, during interrogation, Mrs Ogbonna who is a mother of three children, all resident in Brazil, claimed she lost her husband three years ago.
“She confessed she decided to traffick the illicit drug to raise money for the burial of her father scheduled for July 22 in Imo.
“She said one Emeka, alias KC also based in Brazil gave her the drug to deliver in Nigeria for a fee of 3,000 dollars.
”She said she pushed the wraps of cocaine into her private part after her attempts to swallow the pellets failed, ” Babafemi said.
The spokesperson said the suspect who owned a shop where she sells African foodstuffs in Brazil, further claimed she had to drop her three young children with a Kenyan lady.
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In a related development, Babafemi said that narcotic officers attached to a courier company in Lagos intercepted 500grammes of ketamine.
He said it was concealed in the walls of a wooden box filled with bitter kola that originated from Douala, Cameroon, and heading to the U.S.
He added that another 500grammes of methamphetamine hidden in automobile parts going to Australia was also seized at the firm.
Babafemi said also that over 410 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs was intercepted and seized by NDLEA operatives in Plateau and Kwara.
He said a commercial bus with registration number EKY 184 CQ Lagos was intercepted in Plateau with Diazepam weighing 39kg; Exol-5 tablets weighing 35kg and 1.7kg of Flumtrazepam tablets discovered in the vehicle.
“A follow-up operation led to the arrest of a drug dealer, Livinus Nnadi at Bauchi motor park on June 26.
“While on the same day, a blue Sharon minibus with registration number FKG 539 GR, going to Bauchi from Jos was also intercepted and 7.9kg of pentazocine injection recovered from it.
“In the same vein, operatives of the Kwara command of the agency have recovered 67.2kg of Tramadol heading to Benin republic at a checkpoint close to Ilesha in Osun,” he said.
Babafemi said that a 53-year-old drug trafficker, Zakiru Abdullahi was also arrested on Ilorin-Jebba highway on Thursday July 1, with 260kilogrammes of pentazocine injection meant for Kaduna.
Reacting to all the successful operations, Chairman, NDLEA, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa commended officers and men of Abuja airport, Plateau, Kwara commands of the agency.
Marwa also commended those in the Directorate of Investigations and Operations (DOGI), attached to the courier firms for their diligence and commitment to work.
“Let me again commend all the gallant and vigilant officers and men in these commands and DOGI for their resilience and commitment to the mandate President Muhammadu Buhari has given us in the agency.
“This in which is to rid our towns, communities and even forests of illicit drugs and the criminal elements profitting from the unconscionable trade.
“With the recent launch of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), we must all aim for the ultimate goal of winning this battle sooner than expected. We can and we must, ” he said.
