NDLEA arrests ‘drug trafficker’ who swallowed cocaine wraps ‘worth N423m’

Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested one Henry Okonkwo, for allegedly trafficking drugs worth millions of naira from Nigeria to Spain.

Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesman, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

Okonkwo was said to have been arrested at the NDLEA screening point at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos on Sunday, after which he excreted 113 wraps of cocaine after 24 hours of placing him under observation.

Babafemi, who said the street value of the ingested drugs was N423 million, added that Okonkwo was about to board a Turkish Airline flight TK0626 before he was apprehended.

“Twenty four hours after putting him under excretion observation, the suspect who has been living in Spain for 10 years excreted 39 wraps of cocaine and subsequently passed out a total of 113 wraps in five excretions,” the statement reads.

“Further investigation reveals he ingested the illicit drug in a hotel in Igando area of Lagos.”

In another instance, the agency said its officials intercepted 2.8kg of skunk (cannabis) hidden in crayfish, bitter leaves and melon concealed in a sack at an export shed located inside the Murtala Muhammed Airport.

According to the spokesman, Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, commended the officials for the arrest and urged them not to relent in their efforts to “disrupt illicit drug trade”.