Crimes

Italy-bound physically challenged man arrested at Lagos airport

The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 53-year-old physically challenged man, Ehiarimwiam Osaromo Emmanuel, at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State, for drug trafficking.

Ehiarimwiam, an indigene of Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State, was arrested last Sunday on his way to Italy, via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight.

This was disclosed via a statement issued and made available to The Star by the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

Babafemi stated that the arrested physically challenged man was found to have concealed 5,000 tablets of Tramadol 225mg in his luggage.

“Preliminary investigation reveals that the suspect is a frequent traveller who often travels with lots of bags containing mainly food items, body cream, hair attachment, and drinks.

“The suspect was said to have presented his usual large consignment to NDLEA operatives for search but held on to some packages, which were retrieved from him and properly searched during which the drugs were discovered,” the NDLEA spokesperson said.

Babafemi added that the NDLEA operatives raided a suspected clandestine laboratory at Opic estate, Agbara, Lagos State, and arrested one Peter James with some quantity of crystal methamphetamine.

He noted that a follow-up operation within the estate also led to the arrest of a meth dealer, Mathew Bobby Imonitie, who was caught with 4.033kilograms of the illicit substance.

“A raid at a rented apartment in Raji Rasaki First estate in Festac town, Lagos on Saturday 27th August led to the seizure of 412,780 tablets of Tramadol and the arrest of one of the suspects involved, Kingsley Duru,” he stated.

Speaking on the arrests and seizures, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the anti-drug agency officers just as he charged them and their compatriots across Nigeria to intensify the heat on drug cartels in the country while balancing their efforts on supply reduction with drug demand reduction activities.

The Star