NDLEA Foils Drug Smuggling Attempt To Qatar, Officers Refuse N5m Bribe

NDLEA Apprehends Woman Attempting to Smuggle Cannabis to Qatar

A 35-year-old woman, Chidinma Chinenye-Agbazue, has been detained by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after she was caught trying to export 20 parcels of Cannabis Sativa, weighing 10.70kg, to Doha, Qatar, through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State.

The illicit drugs were ingeniously concealed within African salad, commonly known as Abacha, and dried vegetables. This operation was conducted in collaboration with operatives from the Department of State Services.

The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this development in a statement issued on Sunday, outlining various arrests and seizures made by the agency over the past week.

According to Babafemi, Chidinma was intercepted by NDLEA officers at the screening point of Terminal 11 of the MMIA while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha. Preliminary investigations revealed that she had returned to Nigeria from Qatar in December for Christmas and was staying at Club Dice Hotel in the Ikotun area of Lagos, where the consignment was handed over to her for trafficking back to Qatar.

In addition to Chidinma’s arrest, two other suspects, Monday Okeke and Chigozie Emeka, were apprehended in separate operations in Lagos, where a substantial quantity of opioids, including tramadol, codeine syrup, and Molly, were recovered. Okeke attempted to bribe NDLEA officers with N5 million cash, which was promptly rejected, and the money was documented as part of the evidence for prosecution.

In Bayelsa State, three suspects were intercepted while attempting to smuggle opioids weighing 73.425kg to the creeks in Southern Ijaw area. The drugs were concealed in jumbo sacks and transported via a tricycle.

Furthermore, arrests were made in Ogun, Taraba, and Abia States, where significant quantities of cannabis and tramadol were seized from suspects engaged in drug trafficking activities.

The NDLEA continues its relentless efforts to combat drug trafficking and apprehend individuals involved in such illegal activities across Nigeria.

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