NDLEA operatives apprehend Brazilian returnee with pellets of cocaine in Lagos

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Brazilian returnee, Igwedum Uche Benson at the arrival hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos, with pellets of cocaine concealed in his private part.

Igwedum Uche Benson, according to NDLEA operatives, was arrested on Monday, June 20, 2022 at the Lagos airport upon his arrival on Ethiopian Airlines from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Addis Ababa.

Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesman in a statement explained that preliminary investigations reveal the suspect had swallowed 50 wraps of cocaine before departing Brazil and excreted 48 pellets in Addis Ababa where he handed them over to another person on arrival.

The statement further explained the suspect later excreted the remaining two wraps in the aircraft restroom during the flight from Ethiopia to Lagos which he was unable to excrete at the hotel room in Addis Ababa before boarding his flight.

The statement added, “In the same vein, after three weeks of painstaking investigation and tracking, operatives of the MMIA command of NDLEA on Saturday night, June 25 arrested a drug kingpin, Onyekachi Chukwuma Macdonald behind attempts to export 40 parcels of Methamphetamine popularly called Mkpuru Mmiri locally to London, United Kingdom through the NAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport.”

It stated that Onyekachi was arrested at Manacola estate, Alakuko area of Lagos at the weekend, three weeks after his Mkpuru Mmiri consignment weighing 2.05kilograms was intercepted at the airport and his freight agent, Peter Christopher Anikan arrested on 7th June.

It explained that during his interview, the suspect said he’s from Ahiazu, Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State and had lived in Dubai, UAE for 10 years before returning to Nigeria in 2019.

The statement said that the suspect stated that after his return to Nigeria, he opened a phone accessories shop in Sango Otta, Ogun state but the business later collapsed.

It explained that he started sending cigarettes to London and decided to conceal the illicit drug in the consignment after being advised by a friend on how best to do it.

The statement explained that another consignment of 2kg Mkpuru Mmiri at a courier house in Owerri, Imo state was seized by the operatives of NDLEA.

It stated that the cargo seized had ankara and lace fabrics, saying that two cylindrical cellophanes containing the drug heading to Hong Kong were concealed on Wednesday, 22nd June, 2022.

The statement noted that 500,000 tablets of Tramadol 225mg packed in 10 cartons and labelled Tramaking imported from Karachi, Pakistan on Emirates Airline were intercepted on Friday, 24th June at the Lagos airport by NDLEA operatives on arrival.

It explained that during a joint examination with Customs and NAFDAC officials, the consignment weighing 407.60kg was seized.

Alegbeleye Taiwo, a Dubai, UAE-bound passenger, same day, the statement explained, was apprehended at the departure hall of the MMIA with 40 ampoules of pentazocine injection, saying that the 21-year-old suspect claims he’s from Osun state.

Babafemi further explained that the NDLEA operatives arrested two kingpins behind the importation of two recent drug consignments from Canada concealed in vehicle containers through the Tincan seaport in Apapa, Lagos.

According to the statement, Gboyega Ayoola Elegbeji, one of them, was arrested Wednesday, 22nd June at his house, 14 Bakare street, Idi Araba, Lagos, for importing a 40ft container TRHU7874497 containing 33 parcels of cannabis indica (Colorado) weighing 16.5kg.

The statement added that the second suspect, Sunday Joe Oyebola, (aka Otunba) was arrested on Thursday 23rd June, adding that he is linked to the importation of a 40ft container MEDU4389887 containing four vehicles used to conceal 290 parcels weighing 145kg cannabis indica (Colorado) from Montreal, Canada.

It observed that in the course of investigation, he attempted to bribe officers with N10million to influence the case who had been on the run since March.

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, hailed the officers and men of the MMIA, Tincan, and Imo state Commands of the Agency for the drug seizures and arrests especially of those who thought they could evade the long arm of the law while encountering them and their compatriots across other formations to intensify their efforts towards achieving set goals.