NDLEA arrests Turkey based businesswoman for drug trafficking

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has thwarted an attempt by a 32-year-old businesswoman, Mrs Pamela Odin, to traffic 2.150kg tablets of Rohypnol through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport  (NAIA) Abuja.

The Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, made the announcement in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Babafemi said that the mother of one was arrested on Sept. 23, while attempting to board a Turkish airlines flight with the drug concealed inside pepper and packed among foodstuff.

He said that the suspect, an indigene of Afiesere village in the Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta, claimed she operates a restaurant in Istanbul, Turkey.

“She claimed to have come to Nigeria to see her relatives and buy food items for her restaurant business,” Babafemi added.

Meanwhile, two Malians: Mohammed Demoele, 38, and Coulibaly Maliki, 56, have been arrested by officers of the Marine Unit of the NDLEA at Ebute Ero Jetty in Lagos.

Babafemi said that the suspects were arrested for attempting to export 34.2kg bottles of a new psychoactive substance, Akuskura, to Mali through Cotonou in Benin Republic.

In another development, NDLEA operatives on Sept. 29, intercepted 100 compressed blocks of Cannabis Sativa, weighing 73.500 kg, concealed inside animal feeds in Taraba.

Babafemi said that a physically-challenged drug dealer, Abdulrahman Mohammed, was also arrested with 104 kg of compressed cannabis sativa.

He said that the the suspect was arrested on Saturday in Ogun by NDLEA operatives.

“Another suspect, Ms. Safiya Bello, was also arrested in Shagamu area of the state with 27kg of the psychotropic substance,” he added.

Babafemi quoted the Chairman, NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa as commending the officers and men at the NAIA, Taraba and Ogun commands for their resilience.

Marwa charged them and others across the country to intensify ongoing offensive actions against drug cartels and traffickers wherever they might be located in Nigeria. (NAN)