Agents of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) apprehended four prospective pilgrims heading to Saudi Arabia with cocaine packages in Lagos.
Mr. Femi Babafemi, the spokesperson for the NDLEA, disclosed this information in a statement released on Thursday in Abuja. Babafemi mentioned that NDLEA agents conducted a raid at the Emerald Hotel in Ladipo, Oshodi, Lagos State, on June 5.
He explained that the prospective pilgrims were caught in the act of swallowing packets of cocaine in preparation for their journey to the holy land.
During the meticulously planned operation, which relied on intelligence, four individuals were apprehended. They were identified as Usman Kamorudeen, aged 31; Olasunkanmi Owolabi, aged 46; Fatai Yekini, aged 38; and a woman named Ayinla Kemi, aged 34.
“The four suspects were accommodated in two separate rooms at the hotel, where they had readied 200 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.20 kilograms to ingest when NDLEA officers raided their quarters.
“A total of 200 packets of the Class A substance were discovered, with 100 packets found in each of the two rooms. Two suspects were each prepared to ingest 100 packets,” Babafemi stated.
Babafemi quoted NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, as commending the commander, officers, and personnel of the Lagos State command for executing the operation.
Marwa emphasized that the agency would persist in expanding its reach to identify, trace, and detain criminal elements, including those attempting to exploit the guise of pilgrimage to engage in illicit activities that could tarnish the country’s reputation.
“The Agency will collaborate with authorities in Saudi Arabia to ensure that the intended recipients of confiscated illegal drug shipments within Saudi Arabia are identified and appropriately handled,” he affirmed.
