The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Thailand returnee, Simon Oguejiofor, for importing 13.30 kilogrammes of heroin worth more than N3.192 billion at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja that operatives intercepted large consignments of opioids with combined monetary value of more than N22.7 billion at three seaports in Lagos.

He said Mr Oguejiofor was arrested on Monday, October 7, while attempting to smuggle out of the airport the illicit drug concealed in six backpacks and then packed into two big suitcases.

Mr Babafemi added that the 29-year-old graduate of mechanical engineering from the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State, had left Thailand on October 3 on the Qatar Airways flight and stopped over in Doha.

He said this was where he spent two days before heading to Lagos while his luggage was routed to Accra, Ghana, his original destination.

“After arriving in Lagos on October 5, he contacted the airline to reroute his luggage to Nigeria so that he can pick them up as rush bags in a bit to beat security checks.

“However, NDLEA officers intercepted him at the point of exit. A search of his two suitcases revealed three empty backpacks in each box, with a large parcel of heroin neatly sewn to all six backpacks.

“The six parcels were subsequently recovered with a gross weight of 13.30kg.

“In his statement, Oguejiofor claimed he was hired for a fee of 7,000 dollars upon successful delivery of the parcels. He said he was to deliver two parcels in Lagos and the other four in Accra, Ghana,” Mr Babafemi stated.

Meanwhile, 32,607,900 pills of tramadol worth over N12.5 billion and N1.4million bottles of codeine-based syrup with a street value of N10.2 billion have been intercepted at the Lekki Deep Seaport, Apapa seaport in Lagos and Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers state.

Mr Babafemi said the combined monetary value of the seized opioids comes to N22.7 billion.

He said the illicit consignments were seized from containers watch listed by NDLEA based on intelligence and processed for a 100 per cent joint examination.

Mr Babafemi said this was with the help of men of the Nigeria Customs and other security agencies at the three seaports between Monday, October 7 and Friday, October 11.

In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Anambra on Saturday, October 12, arrested a suspect, Okelue Chidera, 29, with 50,000 tablets of tramadol 200mg at Upper Iweka, Onitsha.

Also, in Edo State, operatives raided a cannabis transit and loading point at Aviose, Owan West LGA, where 70 bags of the psychoactive substance weighing 1,050kg were recovered.

Mr Babafemi said a suspect, Monday Akele, 38, was arrested on Friday, October 11, in another raid at Owan Village, Ovia North East Local Government Area, where 110kg of the same substance was seized.

(NAN)