By EZEKIEL OBI, Abuja –
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 44-year-old father of three, Gabriel Anthony, for ingesting 96 pellets of cocaine, which he excreted while in the custody of the agency.
The Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said the suspect was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Friday, Nov. 26.
According to him, the suspect, a native of Nike in Enugu LGA was arrested during an outward clearance of Turkish Airline at the boarding screening area of the airport enroute Abuja-Istanbul-Madrid.
According to him, the suspect had travelled to Germany in 1996 for two years on asylum after which he relocated to Spain in 1999.
“That was where he currently holds a residence permit and works as a driver in a food manufacturing company.
“He claimed he came into Nigeria on Nov. 17 to sell clothes and car spare parts he shipped to Lagos earlier.
“He however said he could not sell his consignments, which cost him 4,000 Euros excluding the cost of shipment because they were priced below the cost price at Ladipo market in Lagos.
“And he needed to travel back to Spain to resume work after the expiration of his annual leave, ” he said.
Babafemi added that the suspect confessed to have accepted the offer to traffic the drug for which he would be paid 1,500 Euros when he successfully deliver the consignment to someone in Spain.
According to Babafemi, the suspect claimed he left Lagos for Enugu to see his family members, and then travelled on Nov. 25 to Onitsha in Anambra.
“This was where he was picked from Upper Iweka park at night and taken to a house where he was given the 96 pellets of cocaine.
“Thereby ingesting before leaving for Abuja to board his flight to Madrid the following day,” he added.
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