No fewer than 4 prospective pilgrims bound for Saudi Arabia were apprehended by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos with cocaine consignments.
The NDLEA spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a statement issued via the agency’s X handle on Thursday.
Mr. Babafemi said the agency’s operatives conducted a raid on Emerald Hotel in Ladipo, Oshodi, Lagos State, on June 5. The intending pilgrims were caught ingesting cocaine wraps in preparation for their journey to the holy land.
He said the individuals arrested during the intelligence-driven operation were identified as Usman Kamorudeen, 31, Olasunkanmi Owolabi, 46, Fatai Yekini, 38, and Ayinla Kemi, 34, a female suspect.”
“The four suspects were lodged in two rooms in the hotel where they had prepared 200 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.20 kilograms to swallow when NDLEA officers stormed their rooms.
“100 wraps of the Class A substance were recovered from each of the two rooms bringing the total seizure to 200 wraps. Two suspects were to swallow 100 wraps each,” he said.
Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, as commending the commander, officers and men of the Lagos State command who conducted the operation.
Marwa said the agency would continue to spread its dragnet to track, trace and apprehend criminal elements.
This, he said, included those who may want to hide under pilgrimage to carry out their nefarious activities capable of denting the image of the country.
”The Agency will work with our counterparts in Saudi Arabia to ensure that the designated recipients of seized illicit drug consignments in any part of Saudi Arabia are also traced and dealt with accordingly,” he said.