NDLEA arrests Thailand returnee for ‘trafficking heroin worth N3.2bn’

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos arrested Oguejiofor Nnaemeka Simonpeter, a Thailand returnee, for allegedly importing 13.30 kilogrammes of heroin worth over N3.192 billion.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said Oguejiofor was arrested on October 7, 2024 while attempting to smuggle the illicit drug concealed in six backpacks, and packed into two big suitcases.

“The 29-year-old graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra state, had left Thailand on 3rd October on Qatar Airways flight and stopped over in Doha where he spent two days before heading to Lagos while his luggage was routed to Accra, Ghana, his original destination,” the statement reads.

“After arriving Lagos on the 5th October, he contacted the airline to reroute his luggage to Nigeria so that he can pick them up as rush bags in a bit to beat security checks. However, NDLEA officers intercepted him at the point of exit.

“A search of his two suitcases revealed three empty backpacks in each box with a large parcel of heroin neatly sewn to all the six backpacks. The six parcels were subsequently recovered with a gross weight of 13.30kg.”

The statement said Oguejiofor claimed he was hired for a fee of $7,000, and that he was to deliver two parcels in Lagos, and the other four in Accra, Ghana.

The NDLEA spokesperson said 32.6m pills of tramadol worth over N12.6 billion, and 1.5m bottles of codeine-based syrup with a street value of N10.16 billion, were intercepted at the Lekki Deep Seaport, Apapa seaport in Lagos, and Onne, Rivers state.

Babafemi said the combined monetary value of the seized opioids amounted to N22.7 billion.

“The illicit consignments were seized from containers watch listed by NDLEA based on intelligence and processed for 100 percent joint examination with men of the Nigeria Customs and other security agencies at the three seaports between Monday 7th and Friday 11th October 2024,” the statement added.