Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended a businessman, Olisaka Chibuzo Calistus, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano State, with a substantial consignment of cocaine.
The suspect, an importer and exporter, was arrested on Sunday, 15 December, with 256 wraps of cocaine weighing 6 kilograms.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday described the seizure as a milestone for the Kano airport.
The statement reads partly, “The seizure, which is the single largest interception of cocaine at the Kano airport since the creation of MAKIA Command of NDLEA in 2006, was made on Sunday 15th December 2024 during the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 941 from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.”
Babafemi explained that Olisaka had concealed the cocaine pellets in his body, leading to his arrest after a body screening.
Meanwhile, the agency also thwarted another drug smuggling attempt at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. An ex-convict, Olanrewaju Bada Akorede, was caught trying to export a consignment of Rohypnol to South Africa through the airport’s export shed.
The consignment was reportedly hidden among cargo items, including gari, shoes, and men’s singlets. Babafemi noted that Olanrewaju was previously convicted for a similar offence in December 2023.
“He was sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Lagos with an option to pay a fine of N900,000, which he paid and was freed before returning to repeat the same crime,” Babafemi revealed.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at Lagos airport also intercepted an Italy-based businesswoman, Cynthia Akaeen, on Wednesday, 18 December. Cynthia was arrested at Terminal 2 while attempting to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Italy.
“A total of 9,190 tablets of various brands of tramadol weighing 6.00kg were recovered from her. According to her, she was promised 1,000 Euros upon successful delivery of the consignment in Italy,” Babafemi stated.
See the video below:
https://x.com/ndlea_nigeria/status/1870777207670407409?s=46
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