Murtala Muhammed International Airport Now Hub Of Crafty Drug Peddlers

SINCE the beginning of this year, 2012, drug trafficking and smuggling have taken a sophisticated dimension at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, despite effort of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, to nip the illicit business in the bud.

Cunning dealers in narcotics have also devised new ways of concealing and smuggling hard drugs out of the country.

The trend has gone beyond suspected drug dealers swallowing hard drugs like cocaine.

The sophisticated methods of smuggling hard drugs in and out of Nigeria has changed drastically from hiding drugs in hand luggage, baggage or sandals to a hi-tech method of importing liquid cocaine perfectly concealed and neatly ingested and wrapped inside male condoms, liquid cocaine well packaged as wine in well designed bottles as red wine, liquid cocaine concealed as ice cream to recent times when a widow suspect was arrested for hiding 66 wraps of hard drugs in her private part as well as concealing cocaine in metal pipes.

Other sophisticated methods of concealing hard drugs include using spare parts, hiding hard drugs in hair wig, in brassieres, concealing hard drugs in big tomato puree and other food items, hiding the drug in handles of suitcase amongst others.

The recent arrest by the operatives of the anti-narcotic agency was that of an auto-technician Mr. Vincent Chegini Chinweuwa over the weekend for allegedly smuggling about 2.655kilogrammes of cocaine tactically concealed inside roasted chicken at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

Since the beginning of 2012 suspects arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for smuggling drugs in and out of the country in various sophisticated methods and concealment include a 32 years old man, Mr. Patrick Chukwuemeka who packaged 7.1kilogrammes of liquid cocaine as wine worth N63.9million on an Emirate flight from Brazil.

Other suspects also arrested were two Nigerians, Christian Chidi Ejimbe and Innocent Oluchukwu Egbo who were found to have ingested liquid cocaine neatly wrapped inside male condoms on their way from Venezuela with Emergency Travel Certificate aboard South Africa Airline flight.

Another suspect arrested was that of the 50 years old unrepentant drug trafficker, Mr. Martin Ikechukwu who perfectly concealed 9.500kilogrammes of cocaine in creamy form like ice cream and was being smuggled into the country in four coolers down to the arrest of a 26 years old man, Mr. Afunaya Thaddeus Izunna who sells phone accessories in Ikeja with 8.5kilogrammes of methamphetamine tactically concealed inside metal pipes before the recent arrest of Mr. Vincent Chegini Chinweuwa over the weekend for allegedly smuggling about 2.655kilogrammes of cocaine tactically concealed inside roasted chicken.