In a renewed crackdown on transnational drug cartels, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, have arrested a Thailand returnee, Oguejiofor Nnaemeka Simonpeter, for importing 13.30 kilograms of heroin valued at over ₦3.192 billion.
The NDLEA spokesperson, in a statement on Sunday, disclosed that Oguejiofor was apprehended on Monday, 7 October 2024, while attempting to smuggle the illicit substance out of the airport. The drugs were concealed in six backpacks, which were then placed inside two large suitcases.
The 29-year-old, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State, had left Thailand on 3 October on a Qatar Airways flight, with a stopover in Doha, where he spent two days before travelling to Lagos. His luggage, however, was initially routed to Accra, Ghana, his intended final destination.
According to the NDLEA, after arriving in Lagos on 5 October, Oguejiofor contacted the airline to reroute his luggage to Nigeria, planning to collect it as rush bags to evade security checks.
NDLEA officers intercepted him at the exit, and a search of his two suitcases revealed three empty backpacks in each, with large parcels of heroin expertly sewn into all six. The total weight of the recovered drugs amounted to 13.30 kilograms.
In his statement, Oguejiofor admitted he was hired to deliver the parcels for a fee of $7,000 upon successful delivery. He claimed he was to drop off two parcels in Lagos and transport the remaining four to Accra, Ghana.
Commending the officers and personnel of the various NDLEA commands for the arrest and seizure, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), expressed appreciation for their operational achievements, noting the importance of their balanced efforts in both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction.
