NDLEA nabs 14 suspected drug traffickers
… Confiscates 77.307 kg of narcotics
By CHRIS ANUCHA
Thursday, February 26, 2009
•Ogbuji Emmanuel
Photo: Sun News Publishing
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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 14 persons suspected to be drug traffickers.
The suspects were nabbed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, NMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

Cannabis weighing 59.547kg, were recovered from two of them, while 1.827 kg of heroin was recovered from one of them.
Others had cocaine weighing, 15.933, in their possession. The estimated street value of the drug impounded from the suspects is put at N60 million.

The NDLEA Airport Commander, Mr. Victor Cole-Showers, gave the names of the suspects as, Emmanuel Ogbuji, 45, Mezue Obinna, 30, Eluma Ifeanyi, 30, and Okoro Onwuka, 35.
Others are: Onum Michael, 36, Anaeto Ugochukwu, 39, Obiora Celestine, 46, and David Monteiro, 35.

Eight of them were alleged to have ingested the hard drugs and were on their way to various destinations in Europe. Michael’s case is said to be critical and may be the next drug suspect to be operated on this year, to evacuate cocaine from his stomach. The suspect, a native of Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State, had already confessed to have ingested 78 wraps of hard drugs, which was meant to be delivered in Hamburg for a fee of 3,000 euros.

The dream was not only dashed, his life is also in danger. As at the time of filing this report, he had excreted 77 wraps, while one is still stuck in his stomach. In his confessional statement, Michael said: “I suffered a big loss in business and somebody wanted to help me start all over again. That was how I found myself in this problem”.

A few weeks ago, another suspected drug trafficker, Anthony Hyginus, 39, was saved from premature death when doctors removed a ‘stubborn’ wrap of cocaine that got stuck in his stomach through surgical operation.

Chidi, a factory worker in Spain, was arrested during the screening of KLM passengers to Amsterdam. He allegedly ingested 71 wraps, weighing 1.434 kg, for a fee of 2,000 euros. The suspect said: “They said I would have been paid 3,000 euros if I had swallowed 100 wraps but I could not, because it is not easy”. The native of Orlu, Imo State, had been living in Spain for the past 10 years.
Obinna, an automobile parts dealer, living in Togo, was arrested while on his way to Hamburg. He allegedly ingested 70 wraps of substance, suspected to be cocaine, weighing 1.452 kg, for a fee of 3, 500 euros. Listen to his excuse: ‘‘I wanted to help my younger ones and my mother.’’ The suspect is from Dunukaofia Local government Area of Anambra State.

Ifeanyi is said to be living in Spain but has a shop, where he sells musical instruments at Ikotun area of Lagos. He was nabbed on his way to Madrid, Spain. Eluma allegedly ingested 73 wraps of substance suspected to be cocaine, weighing 1.515 kg. The suspect, from Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State, claimed it was circumstances that pushed him into drug trafficking. He said: “I was not going to be paid any money. The drug is mine, I bought it to sell in Europe.” The NDLEA spokesman, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, told Daily Sun that the suspects would appear in court soon.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, has again expressed deep concern about the rate of hard drug ingestion by traffickers, describing it as suicidal. “Cocaine induced surgical operations rather than sicknesses, are sad and regrettable. Ingestion of narcotic drugs is suicidal. I strongly believe that premature death, economic sabotage and image smearing, caused by illicit drug trafficking, are critical areas of justification, for our call for stiffer penalty for drug culprits, as enshrined in the Agency’s Act,” Giade declared.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/crimewatch/2009/feb/26/crimewatch-26-02-2009-002.htm

Wow, these men are really choosing the wrong path. Good on NDLEA.

This belongs in the Crime forum btw.

:-x