The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has detained for prosecution a 26-year-old nursing student at Noida International University in India for allegedly waiting to ingest 76 wraps of cocaine.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said on Sunday in Abuja that the suspect was to swallow the wraps of cocaine hours before her return flight to the South Asian country through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano.

He said the suspect was scheduled to return to Delhi, India, from MAKIA Kano aboard Qatar Airways flight 1432 on Friday but was arrested in her room at about 11:30 p.m. on Thursday.

“She was arrested at Royal Park Hotel, Sabon Garin, Kano while awaiting the cocaine consignment she was to ingest before her flight the following morning.

“Her lid was blown open when NDLEA operatives on patrol along Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi, on Thursday, January 16, intercepted a 31-year-old male accomplice in a commuter bus coming from Lagos en route Kano.

“Inside his black polythene bag was an audio speaker, which was used to conceal 76 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.340 kgs, which he was going to deliver to Esther in Kano.

“A swift follow-up operation in Kano led to the arrest of the female nursing university student later the same day,” Mr Babafemi explained.

According to Mr Babafemi, the nursing student claimed that the drug cartel she worked for recruited her in India and paid for her trip to Nigeria to enjoy her Christmas and New Year holidays.

“To avoid her parents knowing she was in Nigeria, she did not travel to her home state, Imo, but was lodged for two weeks in a hotel in Enugu, where she was flown to Abuja.

“Then she travelled from Abuja to Kano where she was lodged at Royal Park Hotel to swallow the 76 pellets of cocaine sent to her from Lagos before taking her Qatar Airways flight to India on Friday morning.

“She said she was promised over 5,000 dollars (About N9 million) upon successful delivery of the illicit consignment in India,” Mr Babafemi said.

(NAN)