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A suspected drug trafficker intercepted and arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, has excreted 86 wraps of cocaine.
NDLEA’s spokesperson, Jonah Achema, said, the suspect, Oluchukwu Onu Friday, was arrested during the outward clearance of India bound Ethiopian Airline ET910 en route Abuja-Addis Ababa-New Delhi.
Achema, in a statement on Saturday, said 39-year-old Onu, a native of Umuaku-Isiochi village in Abia State, was intercepted at the boarding gate screening and referred for scanning where he tested positive for ingestion.
He said the suspect excreted 86 wraps of substances which tested positive for cocaine weighing 1.527 kilogrammes after the drug test.
“I deal in building materials in Lagos. I have decided to undertake this journey so that I can use the money to support my business. I have lost so much money during this COVID-19. So, I need another source of income,” the agency quoted Onu to have said.
According to the agency, Onu, a Lagos-based dealer in building materials was promised N1.5 million upon successful delivery to a recipient in New Delhi, India.
“Onu, a primary school leaver, got married last year and the wife is expectant,” the agency added.
Kabir Sani Tsakuwa, NDLEA Commander at the Abuja Airport, said investigation is ongoing to dismantle Onu’s drug trafficking network.
“This arrest is spectacular in that it is about the highest number of wraps to be swallowed or ingested by an individual. We have also discovered that this is the first case of Cocaine moving from here to India. We will explore and exploit all angles in ensuring that this particular drug chain is disrupted and dismantled,”Tsakuwa said.