The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian woman with cocaine hidden inside her bra.
30-year-old Nnaji Juliet Ijeoma from Enugu State was arrested by officials of the anti-drug agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos on Friday, October 21. The illicit drug were discovered during the inward screening of South African Airways.
A statement by the spokesman of NDLEA, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju said that the suspect had attempted to bring in the drug into the country from Brazil. Ofoyeju hinted that the suspected white powdery substance tested positive for cocaine with a gross weight of 535 grams. Mr Ofoyeju vowed that the anti-narcotics agency would continue to make more arrests to prevent drug couriers from blossoming in Nigeria.
The NDLEA Commander at the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba said that the incident is being investigated and immediately the agency was through with its investigation Ms. Ijeoma would be charged to court for prosecution.
The suspect, who holds a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication and confessed that she took part in the illicit business because she needed money for her business.
"I work as a hair stylist in Brazil where l reside for the past two years. I studied mass communication, but because of lack of job, I work as a hair stylist in Brazil. I was approached to smuggle cocaine to Nigeria and I accepted because of the money involved. I needed money for my personal problem. The drug was prepared inside brassiere and given to me to put on. I did not know how it was packaged. My role was to smuggle the drug to Nigeria and collect the sum of N1 million."
In his reaction, the Chief Executive of NDLEA, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd) vowed that the agency was determined to counter the criminal plans of drug cartels in the country.
"It is obvious that drug traffickers are getting desperate, but we are prepared to counter their operations through superior intelligence. The discovery of the drug was a big surprise to the suspect because she felt her mode of concealment was full proof. l want drug traffickers to note that no matter how smart they conceal their drugs, we shall detect them."
The NDLEA boss added that efforts are on-going to unmask other suspected members of the syndicate who are working with International Drug Trafficking Organisations in Brazil.
