Ethiopian Airline Passenger Nabbed With 12.05 Kg Cocaine In Nigeria
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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Command, said they have intercepted 12.05 kilograms of Cocaine.
NDLEA, started that it nabbed one Okorie Cyprian Raymond, who attempted to smuggle hard drugs into Nigeria. The Agency said it foiled Okorie’s plan when he was arrested during the inward clearance of Ethiopian Airline flight 911 from Sao Paulo, Brazil en-route Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
According to a statement signed by its Principal Staff Officer, Public Affairs, Mr. Jonah Achema, the drug which weighed 12.05 kilograms was carefully packed in drink sachets of pineapple and lemon flavor and concealed in a suit case. Okorie was said to had already claimed his luggage upon arrival and proceeded to NDLEA screening point where it was detected that one of his bags was stuffed with prohibited drugs suspected to be Cocaine.
However, he was said to have claimed that the drug consignment was given to him to deliver in Nigeria by one Uche whom he met in Church in Brazil about three months ago through a friend. ” Uche overheard me talk to his friend about my impending trip to Nigeria.I actually did not have knowledge of what is in the bag. Oga Uche brought the suit case to me at the airport just an hour before flight take-off. This short interval did not give me the opportunity to scrutinize the bag”, Okorie claimed.
The suspect, aged 38 and a school certificate holder, has been a resident of Sao Paulo since 2015, where he worked as a technician in brass installation Center. He said: “I had to leave my bicycle spare-parts business in Nigeria for greener pasture in the USA but opted to travel through Brazil, Mexico to America. My journey was aborted in Mexico from where I was returned to Brazil where I was granted asylum.”
Commenting on the arrest, Kabir Sani Tsakuwa, NDLEA Commander, Abuja Airport noted that “the 12.05 kilograms of Cocaine is one of the highest quantity seized by the Command in recent times. He promised all travelers who involve themselves in drug trafficking that they would not escape their drag net.” We will continue to sustain our vigilance,” Tsakuwa said.
