NDLEA Unveils Smuggling Plot: Paris-Bound Nigerian Businessman Arrested With Deadly Drug Cargo

NDLEA Unveils Smuggling Plot: Paris-Bound Nigerian Businessman Arrested With Deadly Drug Cargo

In a significant blow to drug trafficking operations, operatives from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have made two major arrests and seized illicit drugs, showcasing their continued efforts to fight the menace…NDLEA Unveils Smuggling Plot: Paris-Bound Nigerian Businessman Arrested With Deadly Drug Cargo

across Nigeria.

On Sunday, December 22, 2024, NDLEA agents intercepted a 48-year-old businessman, Orizu Ifeanyi Arthur, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja. Orizu, who was attempting to board Air France Flight 844 to Paris, was found to have ingested 74 wraps of heroin and cocaine. His refusal to undergo a body scan raised suspicion, and after being detained for observation, he expelled the drugs over a span of seven days. Orizu later admitted that he had been promised €3,000 for smuggling the drugs and claimed to operate a shop in Balogun Market, Lagos.

In a separate operation, NDLEA’s Marine Command intercepted two boats at Eleko Beach, Lagos, on Christmas Eve. The boats were loaded with 1,960 kilograms of potent cannabis known as “Ghanaian Loud,” smuggled by six foreign nationals, including two Ghanaians and four Beninese. The arrested individuals have been identified as Godsway John, 38, and Freedom Kelvin, 33 (from Ghana), along with Chegoun Hounsou, 23; Gadabor Nyameto, 47; Adantg Sasa, 34; and Ayao Kayivi, 21 (from Benin).

In other operations, the NDLEA recorded several drug busts across the country. In Katsina, Ibrahim Shaibu, 35, was arrested on Christmas Day with 35kg of compressed cannabis, while Umar Ahmed, 47, was apprehended on December 28 with 13.5kg of cannabis. In Edo State, a raid on December 23 resulted in the arrest of 21-year-old Kosisochukwu Ozigbo, who was found with a large haul of opioids, including 32,490 tramadol pills and 936 bottles of codeine syrup.

Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA has ramped up its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, with educational programs in communities and religious organizations. These initiatives aim to raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and prevent future cases.

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman of the NDLEA, praised the efforts of the agency’s personnel and called for continued vigilance in the coming year. He emphasized the importance of combining enforcement with advocacy to tackle the growing problem of drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria.

These successes mark a significant step in the NDLEA’s ongoing commitment to combating drug-related crimes and safeguarding the nation’s future.

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