The Seme Border Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 28-year-old Ghanaian auto dealer for concealing wraps of powdery substances that tested positive for cocaine in his inner wear.
The suspect, Ali Aminu with Ghana international passport number H2252580 allegedly imported 1.3kg of cocaine from Dubai en route Benin Republic. He was caught during routine search of passengers at Gbaji security post along Lagos Seme expressway.
NDLEA Seme Border Commander, Mr Nicholas Ajaduronye, who confirmed the arrest stated that the suspect packed the drugs in his inner wear. “Officers at Gbaji security post detected the drug during search of passengers. A total of 78 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.3kg was found hidden inside his inner wear which he covered with the clothes he wore.
“The suspect boarded a flight from Dubai to Cotonou because he preferred to enter the country through the land borders”, Ajaduronye stated.
The suspect in his statement admitted the crime stating that it was his friend in Brazil that introduced him to the drug business. “I am a businessman and I deal on auto parts. A friend in Brazil called me that I should go to Dubai to bring cocaine. He made my travel arrangement and promised to help me get capital for my business. I took Kenyan airways flight from Dubai to Cotonou and came through Seme border. My friend promised to pay me 2,500 dollars which I intended to invest in my business”, Ali stated.
Ali who is married with two children told narcotic investigators that his father is from Ghana while the mother is from Anambra State, Nigeria. He attended Primary School at Onitsha but dropped out of School in Junior Secondary Class Two.
Chairman of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, in his reaction commended the officers for detecting the drugs. According to Giade, “the officers did well by intercepting the drugs. The arrest is an indication that our drag nets are wide enough to bring drug barons to justice. The suspect departed Dubai with the drugs but we successfully got him at Gbaji. NDLEA is prepared to stop drug barons and make the country drug-free”.
Giade also appealed to passengers to cooperate with narcotic officers on duty because drug barons do not advertise their wares. In his words, “narcotics are not openly displayed by drug trafficking syndicates. They rather employ different tactics in hiding the drugs and we have a responsibility to detect drugs hidden by cartels. This does not come easy because of their growing sophistication,” Giade stated.
