Italy-bound Physically Challenged Nigerian Nabbed For Drug Trafficking

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested a 53-year-old physically challenged man, Ehiarimwiam Osaromo Emmanuel at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos for drug trafficking.

Ehiarimwiam was arrested on Sunday 28th August on his way to Italy, via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight.

NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said the indigene of Orhionmwon local government area of Edo State was found to have concealed 5,000 tablets of Tramadol 225mg in his luggage.

He said: “preliminary investigation reveals that the suspect is a frequent traveller who often travels with lots of bags containing mainly food items, body cream, hair attachment and drinks. The suspect was said to have presented his usual large consignment to NDLEA operatives for search but held on to some packages, which were retrieved from him and properly searched during which the drugs were discovered.”

Babafemi said as part of ongoing efforts to demobilise and dismantle all organised criminal groups behind the production and distribution of crystal methamphetamine across the country, NDLEA operatives on Monday 29th August raided a suspected clandestine laboratory at Opic estate, Agbara, Lagos.

The NDLEA said clues from the property led operatives to another in the vicinity where one Peter James was apprehended with some quantity of the substance.

A follow up operation within the estate also led to the arrest of a meth dealer, Mathew Bobby Imonitie, who was caught with 4.033kilogrammes of the illicit substance.

Also, a raid at a rented apartment in Raji Rasaki First estate in FESTAC Town, Lagos on Saturday 27th August led to the seizure of 412,780 tablets of Tramadol and the arrest of one of the suspects involved, Kingsley Duru.

In the same vein, troops of 81 Division of the Nigerian Army have handed over to the Lagos Command of NDLEA 792 blocks of cannabis sativa smuggled from the Volta region of Ghana into Ogun State but intercepted at a checkpoint along the Ilaro-Benin Republic border.

In Niger State, NDLEA operatives on Thursday 1st September intercepted a truck conveying animal feed from Lagos to Kaduna with 449 compressed blocks and 111 bags of cannabis sativa weighing 1,531kg belonging to a dealer in Zaria.