A suspect, Oguma Richard Uchenna has been arrested in connection with an attempt to export travellers’ cheques in different foreign currencies having a total value of N1,157, 670,469.92 billion which were intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The cheques were reportedly concealed neatly inside four bound hard cover books disguised as academic project literatures, and were being taken to the United Kingdom.
Disclosing this in a statement on Sunday, May 1, 2022, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said that the financial instruments suspected to be counterfeits were discovered on Wednesday, April 27 at NAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport during cargo examination of some consignments meant for exportation to the UK on a cargo flight.
A breakdown of the cheques showed that they had monetary values of $287,623.31, Canadian Dollars worth $1,456,300 and €1,297,800.
In the same vein, operatives of NDLEA at the airport foiled attempt by drug traffickers to smuggle into Nigeria 10.89 kilogrammes of cocaine through a Qatar Airways flight.
The illicit drug was hidden in seven children duvets packed in an unaccompanied bag from Brazil.
Meanwhile, raid operations in Kaduna, Ondo and Akwa Ibom states led to the seizure of about 2,000kg of Tramadol, Codeine, Cannabis and Heroin.
In Ondo State, 401kg of cannabis was recovered, with two suspects – Julius Dapo, 56, and Emeka Ikebuaku, 32 – were arrested in Ipele forest in Owo area on Sunday, April 24.
On same day, a transborder drug trafficker, Chigbo Chinonye, 42, was arrested with amphetamine weighing 2.5kg and heroin weighing 0.5kg during stop-and-search operation conducted along Oron-Ibaka road on his way to Cameroon.
Babafemi said that he concealed the drugs using false bottom packaging.
In Kaduna, a total of 47 cartons of suspected fake Tramadol, comprising 2,350,000 tablets, weighing 1222kg were seized in Zaria on Monday, April 25, while a dealer, Chinedu Asogwa, was arrested the following day along Abuja-Kaduna expressway, with 2919 bottles of cough syrup with codeine, measuring 291.9litres and a gross weight of 396kg.
Commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Ondo, Akwa Ibom and Kaduna Commands of the Agency for the seizures and arrests in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) charged them and their compatriots across the country to remain steadfast and vigilant in their areas of responsibility.
