The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a drug kingpin, Charles Uwagbale, with 93 wraps of cocaine in Lagos.

The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Mr Babafemi said the notorious drug kingpin was specialised in sponsoring young Nigerians to traffick class A drugs to Europe, especially Italy.

He said the suspect was shocked when NDLEA operatives stormed his hotel room and arrested him together with a courier in the Okota area of Lagos on Friday.

Mr Babafemi explained that the drug lord was preparing a recruited courier to swallow 93 pellets of cocaine meant for distribution in Italy.

He said the recruited courier, Uju Dominic, 35, came from Italy just to ingest the pellets of cocaine on Friday and return to Italy on Saturday.

“True to plan, upon the arrival in Nigeria, the mule was lodged in Golden Heaven Hotel located at Enoma Street off Ago-Palace way, Okota, Isolo, Lagos.

“This is where Uwagbale brought 93 wraps of the class A drug for him to swallow at about 11:45 p.m. on Friday.

“They were in the process when NDLEA operatives who have been on their trail following credible intelligence stormed their hotel room, arrested both and recovered the drug exhibits with a total weight of 1.427 kilogrammes,” he said.

Mr Babafemi also said operatives of the Lagos State Command, who made the arrest and seizure, had on Thursday recovered 37.5kg cannabis from the home of a fleeing suspect at Akala in the Mushin area of Lagos. 

(NAN)