Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA have arrested a 34-year-old Nigerian trader at the Lagos airport over attempt to smuggle 16.335kg of cannabis concealed in foodstuff to Dubai.
The suspect, Obi Chinweike, who sells clothes in Ikorodu area of Lagos was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, after he was invited for interrogation during the screening of passengers on an Etihad flight. Ten parcels of cannabis were found inside his two big bags, NDLEA said.
“Our search team detected 16.335kg of dried weeds that tested positive for cannabis at the luggage screening area. The cannabis was hidden in a false bottom of the bags containing yams, garri and other foodstuff. The suspect, Obi Chinweike who is a trader is currently assisting the investigation team,” NDLEA commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar said.
NDLEA said the suspect in his statement claimed he was offered $1,000 to deliver the drugs to a contact in Dubai.
“I was given the drug at Onitsha by a friend who paid me $1,000 to smuggle the drugs to Dubai. Unfortunately, I was arrested in the process. I am from a poor home, I dropped out of school in 1996 in Senior Secondary class one due to lack of funds,” Chinweike, who hails from Uli in Anambra State told NDLEA.
Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade warned drug traffickers to quit the criminal trade or face the consequences as contained in the NDLEA Act.
“If drug barons fail to quit the criminal trade, they will continue to be arrested and prosecuted. This arrest and similar ones are clear signals that drug traffickers will end up in prison custody if they fail to quit. The Agency has intensified search operations at all exit points,” Giade said
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