2nd March, 2012
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said on Thursday that it had prevented a Pakistani drug cartel from coming into Nigeria with 13kgs of heroin worth N120 million.
The spokesman for the NDLEA, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, said this in a statement which he signed and made available to journalists in Ikeja.
Ofoyeju said that operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, arrested the 35-year-old Pakistani, Syed Waseem Ahmed Buhari, with Pakistani passport No Bt 3347071, who came aboard a Qatar Airways flight.
He said that Syed was arrested with the parcels of brownish powdery substances that tested positive for heroin, hidden inside his hand luggage.
The spokesman quoted the NDLEA‘sAirport commander, Mr. Hamza Umar, as saying that the heroin was of a high grade.
He also quoted Umar as saying that a Nigerian clearing and forwarding agent, Okereke Benjamin Chukwudi, 42, was arrested along with the Pakistani, adding that investigations had begun.
Ofoyeju also quoted the Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, as vowing to make drug trafficking unprofitable through regular drug seizures.
He added that Giade explained that the arrest of the Pakistani, a few days after three Bolivians were caught in a suspected case of methamphetamine production, was a demonstration of the agency’s resolve to bring drug traffickers to justice.
“The anti-drug crusade is total and must be pursued with determination.
“While working hard to prevent the involvement of our citizens in drug trafficking, the agency will resist attempts by foreigners to smuggle drugs into the country,” Ofoyeju quoted Giade as saying.
He also said the NDLEA boss gave an assurance that the suspects would be charged to court soon.