Men
of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have nabbed two Brazilians
who tried to smuggle cocaine into the country at the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport, Lagos.
Dias Dos Santos Marcia Cristina and Lima Pereira Erick Diego
Two Brazilians who tried to smuggle over 23 kilograms of cocaine into the country have been arrested by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
Dias Dos Santos Marcia Cristina, 36, was found with 9.4kg of
cocaine in her bag and Lima Pereira Erick Diego, 20, had 14.465kg of
cocaine in his bag. The Brazilian nationals, who traveled from São
Paulo, claimed to be tourists.
Mitchell Ofoyeju, spokesperson for NDLEA, said in a statement that
the drugs were carefully hidden in food cans inside their luggage. The
total weight of the cocaine seizure was 23.865kg with an estimated
street value of N310 million.
Mr. Ofoyeju said that it was the first the NDLEA arrested
Brazilians with cocaine at the Lagos airport. However, he explained that
the Nigeria-Brazil cocaine trafficking route has gained notoriety over
the years.
NDLEA Commander at MMIA, Ahmadu Garba, said that the arrest took
place during the inward screening of passengers on an Emirates flight.
Officers discovered a white substance concealed in food cans which
tested positive for cocaine.
“The tins were factory-sealed such that officers had to cut
them open to discover the concealed drugs. Several canned drugs had been
uncovered at the Lagos airport in the past,” Mr. Ofoyeju said.
“This development is not a surprise to narcotic investigators
because drug cartels are always adopting new strategies of smuggling
drugs,” he said.
The NDLEA spokesperson told our correspondent that the
anti-narcotics agency concluded arrangements to arraign the suspects in
court.
Commenting on the arrest, NDLEA Chief Executive Muhammad Mustapha
Abdallah commended the officers for detecting the cocaine and
apprehending the suspects.
“This arrest is impressive. It is a clarion call for nations to
work harder and deepen collaboration in the fight against narcotics.
Collective efforts are required towards making local and international
borders impenetrable by drug traffickers and other criminals,” Mr. Abdallah stated.
He assured the Nigerian public that the suspects would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
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