A 38-year-old businessman, Philip Tunde, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, after allegedly attempting to smuggle 4.80kg of cocaine to Italy.
Tunde was reportedly apprehended on September 27 at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan.
According to the NDLEA, a search of his luggage led to the discovery of 16 parcels of cocaine concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes. Another 195 wraps of the substance were allegedly found hidden in the railings of four travelling bags.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly told investigators that he had invested ₦16 million in the cocaine concealed in the shoes, while the consignment hidden in the bags was intended for delivery to his business partner in Italy.
He allegedly disclosed that the money came from compensation he received after losing the tips of two fingers in a workplace accident while employed at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy.
The arrest was among several major drug seizures announced by the agency during its latest operations across the country.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted more than 1.2 tonnes of Canadian Loud, valued at over ₦3.8 billion, at the Tincan Island Port. Another 124kg of Thai Loud was reportedly seized at Apapa Port.
At the Onne Port in Rivers State, officers also discovered 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup during an operation targeting drug trafficking networks.
In a separate operation in Lagos, operatives recovered 209,000 tramadol tablets from an unoccupied compound in the Ago Palace area.
The agency also arrested a 23-year-old suspect following the alleged recovery of Colorado cannabis and methamphetamine.
Further arrests and seizures were recorded in Osun, Plateau, Kogi and Edo states as part of the nationwide crackdown on illicit drug trafficking.
Reacting to the operations, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved and urged them to sustain intelligence-driven efforts aimed at dismantling drug trafficking networks across the country.
He reiterated the agency’s commitment to intensifying its operations against drug traffickers and preventing illicit substances from entering Nigeria or being transported through the country to international destinations.
READ:Police Raid Obosi Hideout, Recover Drugs Worth ₦6.2m, Arrest Two
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