NDLEA discovers cocaine inside passenger’s jacket collar

•Nabs suspects with cocaine at Lagos airport

Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two suspected drug traffickers found with wraps of narcotic drug that tested positive for cocaine weighing 485 grammes.

One of the suspects, Anazodo Innocent (46), was found to have inserted wraps of cocaine into his anus on his way to Italy while the second suspect,  Agwu Samuel (31), concealed wraps of narcotics in the collar of his jacket on his way from Brazil.

The arrests and seizures were made at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

According to the NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba, “two suspects have been arrested over unlawful possession of cocaine. Innocent was found with seven pellets of cocaine weighing 375 grammes inserted in his anus while Samuel had 10 pellets of cocaine weighing 110 grammes concealed inside his jacket.

“Both arrests were made during routine check on passengers. Agwu was nabbed during inward screening of passengers on a South Africa Airline flight from Brazil through Johannesburg. The second suspect, Anazodo was caught during screening of passengers on a Royal Air Maroc flight while going to Milan, Italy.” the commander stated.

Agwu Samuel who confidently wore the jacket containing cocaine was arrested shortly after the suspect disembarked from the aircraft on his way from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The anti-narcotic agency said the discovery of cocaine inside the collar of a jacket was the first experience of such.

The suspects owned up to the crime and were cooperating with investigators.

In his reaction, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah described the suspect’s action as crafty and cunning saying: “the cocaine was detected by officers notwithstanding the crafty and cunning mode of concealment.

“The Agency has taken some strategic measures aimed at disappointing the tricks employed drug trafficking syndicates. We remain committed to exposing criminal plots through superior counter-narcotic intelligence. This operational success is commendable and a demonstration of our alertness to detect drugs”.

Abdallahh said that the Agency would continue to invest in capacity building programmes for officers.”

Samuel who sells shoes in Togo said in his statement that he went to Brazil in search of greener pastures but resorted to drug trafficking due to frustration.

“I used to sell shoes in Togo until I lost goods worth N3 million. This negatively affected my business and made me to travel to Brazil in a desperate search for greener pastures. After a fruitless search for job in Brazil for four months, I decided to smuggle drugs to get some money to start my shoe business. I thought the drugs will not be detected inside my jacket but I was caught and I am very sad”, the suspect said.