The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has foiled an attempt to smuggle 12.05 kilogrammes of cocaine into Nigeria at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja.
According to a press release signed by Jonah Achema, the principal staff officer, public affairs of the agency, one Okorie Cyprian Raymond who was en-route Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from Sao Paulo, Brazil, was arrested in possession of the drugs during the inward clearance of the Ethiopian Airline Flight 911.
The drugs were “carefully packed in drink sachets of pineapple and lemon flavour and concealed in a suitcase”. The release stated that Okorie had already claimed his luggage upon arrival at the airport but the drugs were detected at the NDLEA screening point.
Okorie, aged 38, claimed the drugs were given to him to deliver in Nigeria by one Uche he had met in a church in Brazil. He denied having knowledge that the bag given to him by Uche contained illegal drugs. Okorie who has been a resident of Sao Paulo since 2015 worked as a technician at a brass installation centre. He formerly owned a bicycle spare parts business here in Nigeria before relocating.
Kabir Sani Tsakuwa, the NDLEA commander at Abuja Airport noted that the 12.05 kg of cocaine was one of the ‘highest quantities’ of cocaine seized in recent times and assured that all involved in smuggling drugs will be stopped by the law.