Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a former commercial motorcyclist after he allegedly excreted 100 wraps of methamphetamine he reportedly ingested in Uganda in a bid to smuggle the illicit drug into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the arrest in a statement on Sunday, saying the suspect was apprehended following intelligence reports and sustained surveillance by NDLEA operatives upon his arrival from Uganda.
According to the agency, investigations revealed that the suspect, who reportedly worked as an okada rider in Lagos for about 15 years, had recently joined a transnational drug trafficking syndicate in what investigators described as an attempt to improve his financial situation.
Babafemi said the suspect swallowed 100 wraps of methamphetamine before boarding the flight to Nigeria. He was subsequently placed under observation after his arrest, during which he excreted the drug consignments.
Commenting on the development, the NDLEA said the suspect’s quest for a quick financial breakthrough through illicit drug trafficking ended in failure.
“After 15 years of working as an okada rider in Lagos, this individual decides he needed to forcefully upgrade and change his social status by joining a transnational drug trafficking organisation.
“That dream has not only crumbled now but is ending in premium tears following his arrest at the Lagos airport by NDLEA officers after excreting a whopping 100 wraps of methamphetamine he ingested in far away Uganda,” the agency stated.
The NDLEA reiterated its commitment to intensifying intelligence driven operations aimed at dismantling drug trafficking networks and preventing illicit substances from entering the country.
