The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a businessman, Ezemokwe Chukwuebuka Christian, for ingesting 53 wraps of cocaine while attempting to board a flight to Iran from the Port Harcourt International Airport.
Ezemokwe, 44, was intercepted on Saturday, June 7, while boarding Qatar Airways flight QR1434 to Tehran Khomeini via Doha. Following a body scan that tested positive for narcotics ingestion, he was placed under observation and excreted the illicit drugs in six batches. The substances weighed 1.172kg in total.
According to a statement released by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Sunday, the suspect admitted to being involved in drug trafficking between West Africa and Iran for the past two years.
This comes just two weeks after NDLEA operatives at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport arrested Chinedu Leonard Okigbo, 60, who was caught with 65 wraps of cocaine in his stomach, also bound for Iran.
The statement said, “Barely two weeks after operatives of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Kano, intercepted a 60-year-old businessman Chinedu Leonard Okigbo heading to Iran with 65 pellets of cocaine in his stomach, their counterparts at the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) have arrested another businessman, 44-year-old Ezemokwe Chukwuebuka Christian for ingesting 53 wraps of the same class A drug while on his way to Tehran Khomeini, Islamic Republic of Iran.
“Ezemokwe was arrested at the Port Harcourt airport on Saturday 7th June while trying to board Qatar Airways flight QR1434 flying to Tehran Khomeini in Iran via Doha. After a body scan proved positive to ingestion of illicit drug, he was placed on excretion observation during which he expelled 53 wraps of cocaine in six excretions with a total weight of 1.172kg. The suspect claimed to have gone into the criminal trade two years ago, moving between the West African sub-region and Iran.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, arrested an Italy-bound passenger, Edobor Ambrose Ali, for attempting to smuggle 14,410 tramadol pills concealed in winter jackets.
The statement added, “Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos in the early hours of Saturday 14th June intercepted an Italy bound passenger Edobor Ambrose Ali on an Air France flight.
“The NDLEA officers in collaboration with the Aviation Security of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), discovered drug consignments hidden in the luggage of the suspect during baggage scanning at the tarmac.
“The suspect was thereafter brought down from the aircraft for baggage identification after which a thorough search of the bag led to the discovery of 14, 410 pills of tramadol 225mg and 200mg concealed in winter jackets. In his statement, Ebodor said he lives in Italy where he was hired and sent on the all expense paid trip to Nigeria to courier the drug consignments to Milan, Italy for a fee of 2000 Euros.
Credit: X | FemiBabafemi
