The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Thailand returnee, Oguejiofor Nnaemeka Simonpeter, for allegedly importing 13.30 kilograms of heroin worth over N3.192 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in the Ikeja area of Lagos State.

The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, October 13, 2024.

Babafemi stated that Oguejiofor was arrested while attempting to smuggle out the illicit drugs concealed in six backpacks and then packed into two big suitcases at the Lagos airport on Monday, October 7.

He disclosed that the 29-year-old graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University in the Uli area of Anambra State had left Thailand on October 3 on Qatar Airways flight and stopped over in Doha where he spent two days before heading to Lagos while his luggage was routed to Accra, Ghana, his original destination.

The NDLEA spokesman noted that the Thailand returnee, after arriving Lagos on October 5, contacted the airline to reroute his luggage to Nigeria so that he can pick them up as rush bags in a bit to beat security checks.

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“However, NDLEA officers intercepted him at the point of exit. A search of his two suitcases revealed three empty backpacks in each box with a large parcel of heroin neatly sewn to all the six backpacks. The six parcels were subsequently recovered with a gross weight of 13.30kg,” Babafemi added.

He noted that the Thailand returnee, in his statement, claimed he was hired for a fee of $7,000 upon successful delivery of the parcels, saying he was to deliver two parcels in Lagos and the other four parcels in Accra, Ghana.

Commending the anti-narcotic officers for the arrest and seizure, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country, especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts, were well appreciated.

The Star