Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have discovered 2.235kg of cocaine inside soles of female shoes imported from Brazil. The cocaine was detected at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) during search of passengers on board an Etihad flight. A suspected drug trafficker who checked-in the bags with the narcotic had been apprehended.
A statement by the agency’s Head, Public Affairs,Ofoyeju Mitchell, said Commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar gave the name of the suspect as Mama Solomon.
According to Hamza, “the suspect claimed to be a shoe merchant, however, during interrogation it was revealed that he only used the shoes as modes of concealing the cocaine. Mama Solomon had two bags containing female shoes and hand bags. The drug was discovered in the soles of the female shoes and he was immediately arrested”.
During interrogation, the suspect Mama Solomon, 27 years old said that he was given the bag by a friend in Brazil to take to Nigeria. “I live and work in Brazil. I was given the drug with a promise that I will be handsomely rewarded if I successfully deliver the bag in Nigeria. They also assured me that somebody will help me in collecting the bags at the airport in Nigeria. Unfortunately, officers demanded to search my bag and in the process, the cocaine was found in my bag” Mama stated. He hails from Enugu State.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Ahmadu Giade said that the Agency will continue to detect hidden drugs and prosecute drug traffickers. The NDLEA boss also urged members of the public not to relent their effort in reporting suspected drug dealers to the Agency.
“This seizure will serve as a warning to drug cartels. Efforts shall be intensified to train and retrain officers on interdiction techniques and intelligence gathering in order to maintain our superiority over drug traffickers. NDLEA shall continue to seize narcotic drugs and prosecute offenders” Giade stated.
The suspect risks fifteen years jail term if convicted on the charge of unlawful possession of cocaine.
