NDLEA nabs Brazil-bound passenger hiding $34,000

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a passenger for attempting to smuggle out 23 wraps containing $34,000 to Brazil.

This was contained in a statement issued by Mitchell Ofoyeju, the agency’s spokesman, on Friday in Lagos.

The statement said the passenger, Ozoh Ikenna, was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, during the screening of passengers boarding Etihad Airways flight to Abu Dhabi.

It said the money was packed in wraps and concealed in Ikenna’s boxer shorts.

The statement quoted Ahmadu Garba,  NDLEA airport commander, as saying the arrest was facilitated with the aid of a scanning machine.

“The wraps of dollars found on Ikenna were detected with the aid of scanning machine,” the statement read.

“We also conducted a follow-up operation where one Ogbo Emmanuel, who gave Ozoh the $34,000 was arrested.”

The statement said investigation conducted by NDLEA’s assets and financial investigation directorate revealed that the suspects were involved in the laundering of substantial amount of illicit drug proceeds.

“We were able to trace over N226m to one bank account belonging to the second suspect, Ogbo Emmanuel,” the statement read.

Ofoyeju said it was also discovered that members of an international drug cell that smuggles cocaine from South America to West Africa deposited suspected drug proceeds in the said bank account.