Businessman nabbed for smuggling cocaine through ingestion

Abdullateef Fowewe

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a businessman who was caught with a large quantity of cocaine.

The Director of Media and Advocacy, revealed the arrest on Sunday in a statement obtained from the agency’s website.

The 50 years old businessman, identified as Osuoha Iheanacho reportedly ingested a substantial quantity of cocaine in an attempt to avoid detection.

He was according to Babafemi thwarted on Wednesday, November 20, 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.

Babafemi wrote, “He was subsequently placed on excretion observation during which he egested 90 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.019 kilograms in seven excretions.

“Investigation reveals that the suspect who operates phone and accessories business in Lagos and Gabon, Central Africa, travelled by road from Gabon to Douala, Cameroon from where he took a flight 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 deliberately complicated his movement 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 another well-coordinated operation carried out by a Special Operations Unit of the Agency on Thursday 21st November, head of a cocaine distribution cartel, 42-year-old Ndive Maxwell Obinna was arrested 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.”

The NDLEA’s Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) while commending the Agency operatives for the arrests and seizures, noted 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 are well appreciated.