The long arm of the law yesterday caught up with a 31-year-old single mother as she was apprehended by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, for concealing 430 grams of heroin in her private part in a bid to evade arrest.
This was disclosed to members of the public in a press statement issued in Ikeja by the head of Public Affairs of the NDLEA, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju.
Ofoyeju revealed that the woman was arrested during an inward screening of passengers on an Emirates Airline flight at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos.
The NDLEA Commander at the airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, informed that the use of scanning machines facilitated the arrest.
Umar said, “During the inward screening of Emirate passengers, one Aladi Onyinye Juliet tested positive for narcotic ingestion.
“The drug was, subsequently, expelled, field-tested and weighed.”
The NDLEA Commander continued that preliminary investigation carried by the agency showed that suspect was on her way from Pakistan where she got the drug.
“The suspect who hails from Abia State also has established link with some Pakistani drug traffickers who sponsored her trip in collaboration with some local accomplices,” he stated.
It was gathered that the suspect went into drug trafficking because she needed money to pay her bills.
According to the suspect, “I am a single mother and I need money to take care of myself and my child and I used to sell clothes but the profit is inadequate to sustain my family. I would have earned half a million naira to pay for my rent and my child’s school fees if I had succeeded in bringing the drug.
“They paid for my return ticket and hotel accommodation. While in my hotel room, a Pakistani woman came to give me the drug.
“She also instructed me to conceal it in my private part to avoid arrest.
“Unfortunately, NDLEA officers detected it,” she lamented.
The suspect is a 2007 graduate of St. Anthony’s Secondary School, Aba in Abia State.
While commenting on the arrest, the NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, assured that the Agency will not relent in its fight against drug traffickers as it will rely heavily on the use of machines to detect narcotics.
Giade also said, “The NDLEA is investing in capacity building and modern equipment in drug detection.
We hope to dislodge drug-trafficking cartels through superior intelligence and best global practices.
“Investigation is on-going to arrest other members of the drug cartel connected to her case.”
The NDLEA Chairman went on to state that the suspect will soon be dragged to Court.
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