- Safiu Kehinde
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a 50-year-old businessman, Osuoha Christian Iheanacho, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, AIIA, Enugu, for ingesting 90 wraps of cocaine.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the spokesperson, Osuoha was intercepted on Wednesday 20th November 2024 at the arrival hall of the Enugu airport during the inbound screening of passengers arriving from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on an Ethiopian airlines flight following months of intelligence and surveillance on him.
He was subsequently placed on excretion observation during which he egested 90 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.019 kilograms in seven excretions.
Further investigation revealed that the suspect who operates phone and accessories business in Lagos and Gabon, Central Africa, travelled by road from Gabon to Douala, Cameroon.
He reportedly took a flight from there to Addis Ababa where he swallowed the pellets of cocaine while in transit and thereafter continued his journey to Enugu with Lagos as his final destination.
He allegedly complicated his movement in a deliberate attempt to distort traces of his travel history unknown to him that he has been on NDLEA watchlist for the past three months.
In his statement, Osuoha said he desperately needed the money from the criminal drug trade to boost his declining phone and accessories business.
In an another development, an operation carried out by a Special Operations Unit of the Agency on Thursday 21st November, led to the busting of the head of a cocaine distribution cartel, 42-year-old Ndive Maxwell Obinna along with five of his associates at Ago Palace Way in Okota, Isolo, Lagos.
A total of 2.412 kilograms of cocaine were recovered from them.
Other members of the drug trafficking organization arrested along Obinna include: Okeke Gloria Ifeoma who is the syndicate’s stash keeper; Ikechebelu Emmanuel Chibuzor; Okorie Onyedikachi; Okonkwo Nnabugo Prince; and Okafor Blessing Anita.