Onyejiaju Augustine
Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have seized 2.605 kilogrammes of cocaine packed as candies.
The agency also arrested a 52-year-old man, Onyejiaju Augustine, who was the owner of the cocaine candies.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Michelle
Ofoyeju, said the seizure and the arrest were made at the Murtala
Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while the suspect was trying to
smuggle the cocaine out of the country.
He said the Imo State-born suspect had
been on the list of wanted smugglers and was eventually caught during
the screening of passengers enroute Etihad.
Ofoyeju said, “Augustine, who is a
specialist in drug had earlier departed Sao Paulo, Brazil, with the
illicit drug disguised as candies. He was, however, caught at the MMIA
in Lagos.”
The Commander of the agency at the airport, Mr. Umar Hamza, confirmed the arrest.
He said, “We made a shocking discovery
of 2.605kg of cocaine carefully and neatly packed as candies. The
suspect has been arrested and currently under investigation in
connection with unlawful possession of cocaine.”
He added that the suspect had confessed to the crime and would be charged to court soon.
Augustine, who was said to have posed as
a shop owner to deceive the officials that the cocaine was candies,
said, “I own a supermarket in Brazil where I had lived since 2006. I
bought the cocaine and concealed it as candies. It was unfortunate that
the trick was discovered.”
The Chairman, NDLEA, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, described the arrest as the outcome of the agency’s surveillance.
“This arrest is an indication that the
agency is making remarkable progress in undercover operations. The
suspect has been under surveillance for some years following his alleged
role in illicit drug concealment for drug mules” Giade said.
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