Vigilant operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, attached to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State have discovered 28 packs of prescription drug, Tramadol, weighing 21.99 kilogramme hidden inside a DJ rack box and 1.8 kilogramme of cocaine in boxer shorts.
The Tramadol, which was cleverly hidden among camera items, was intercepted by the NDLEA officials during pre-shipment inspection.
The consignment was destined for Congo Brazzaville in Central Africa.
The NDLEA arrested one Afube Izuchukwu Henry, 27, in connection with the consignment.
Another suspect arrested with cocaine in his boxer shorts, was on his way to Dubai before he caught during the outward screening of passengers.
The Commander of NDLEA Lagos Airport Command, Ahmed Garba, said both suspects would be charged to court.
According to Garba, “Henry, who deals in automobile parts was arrested for attempting to export 21.99kgs of Tramadol hidden inside a DJ rack box meant for export to Congo Brazzaville. Another suspect, Chijioke Chukwuemeka Raphael, a Dubai based factory worker was arrested with 1.8kgs of cocaine packed inside socks and concealed in his boxer shorts during the inward screening of passengers on an Emirate flight from Dubai”.
Henry, who hails from Anambra and married with two children, said that he only acted on his elder brother’s instruction.
“I am an auto parts dealer. My brother who lives in Congo asked me to send a DJ Rack box to him. Unfortunately, when I took the box to the airport, NDLEA discovered tramadol inside it during search and I was arrested in the process”, he stated.
Raphael, 36, who claimed to be an indigene of Enugu State, said that he was offered four hundred and fifty thousand (N450,000) naira to smuggle the drug.
“I am a factory worker in Dubai for the past six years. I am married with three children but I cannot take good care of my family. I work from hand to mouth and I am tired of working without seeing the benefits of my labour. I met a man seven months ago in Nigeria who introduced me into drug trafficking. He promised me a better job in Nigeria and offered me N450,000 naira. I accepted the offer because I wanted to come back home and start a better job”, he said.
