Arik staff ‘got N1.2m’ to help smuggle cocaine

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Thursday announced the arrest of 35-year-old Ikechukwu Chibuzor Oliver, another member of Arik Air staff implicated in the alleged smuggling of 20kg cocaine to London on Monday.

The agency said Oliver, who works in the catering department, confessed to the crime, disclosing that he charged a total of N1.2 million (at N400,000 for each) for the three bags of the substance.

Oliver allegedly helped Chika Egwu Udensi, who was arrested on Monday, to get the cocaine aboard Arik’s London-bound Flight W3101. However, the substance was intercepted by the UK Border Force at the Heathrow Airport, London.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that both Oliver and Udensi had been infiltrated by a suspected drug cartel,” Mitchel Ofoyeju, spokesman of NDLEA, said in a statement.

“Oliver told narcotic investigators that he was invited into the illicit drug deal by his colleague, Udensi, a senior member of Arik Air cabin crew that was arrested in London on flight W3101.”

Ofoyeju’s statement quoted Oliver as saying: “It was Udensi that introduced me into the drug deal. Whenever he gives me the drug, I will hide it in catering supplies.

“Udensi knows where to collect the drug inside the flight. They pay me N400,000 per bag. I was expecting N1.2 milion for the three bags that I smuggled into the aircraft.”

Oliver, from Isialagwa north local government area of Abia state and graduate of business administration, was employed by Arik Air in 2009.

Following the development, Ahmadu Giade, chairman and chief executive officer of NDLEA, has directed that all airport workers must be extensively screened, henceforth.

“The agency has taken drastic measures to avert infiltration of airport workers by criminal syndicates,” he said.

“Airline officials and airport workers shall be subjected to comprehensive search. The NDLEA will resist any act capable of undermining security at all entry and exit points.”

Giade added that “all catering trucks, luggage trucks, aviation fuel tankers, machines and personnel whose duty directly or indirectly related to the tarmac and flight operations would be subjected to full screening”.

After Udensi’s arrest in London, his apartment at Pastor Ojediran Street Ejigbo, Lagos, was searched by NDLEA operatives, while his latest Range Rover car parked on the airline’s premises was moved to the NDLEA office as exhibit.

It was discovered that while his mother and siblings live with him at the apartment, his wife and children are based in Canada.

The 20kg of cocaine that Udensi hid inside the construction of laptop bags, is estimated to be worth more than N100 million.