The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted 24 parcels of cocaine concealed in 12 tyres of lawn mowers imported into the country through the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) by a Brazilian returnee, Okechukwu Francis Amaechi, who has just finished serving his jail term for drug trafficking in the South American country.
The 45-year-old ex-convict from Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State was arrested at the Port Harcourt airport on Saturday, May 7 upon his arrival from Brazil via Doha onboard Qatar Airline flight QR1433.
This was disclosed via a statement issued and made available to The Star on Sunday by NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi stated that preliminary investigations revealed Okechukwu, who was arrested and convicted in Brazil for drug offences, completed serving his jail sentence in March 2022, after which he decided to return to Nigeria with three new lawn mowers where he concealed 24 parcels of cocaine weighing 4.56kg.
“Curiously, each parcel concealed in the tyres of the three lawn mowers bears some unique inscriptions, which are believed to be means of identification of the owners of the drug.
“The two parcels in one of the tyres of the first lawn mower bear O LORD and HAVE MERCY.
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“The parcels in one of the tyres of the second mower bears the inscription IN GOD and WE TRUST, while the third mower has IJIOMA and 186.6 inscribed on the two parcels hidden in one of its tyres.
“Okechukwu claimed one of his church members gave him the lawn mowers to deliver to his brother in Port Harcourt,” the NDLEA spokesperson disclosed.
Speaking on the arrest, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), while commending the anti-drug officers, said the war against drug abuse and trafficking remains one that must be won.
Marwa, therefore, charged all commands of the NDLEA to remain on the offensive against the cartels as they take advocacy messages to communities and schools.
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