– Why Nigeria is Veritable Transit Route for Illicit Drug Trade
The war against drug trafficking is no doubt yielding positive results in the country these days, as fresh findings reveal that foreign cartels are behind Nigeria’s dirty drug business.
Sharpedgenews.com gathered from a senior officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) that contrary to the general belief that Nigerians were some of the more notorious drug peddlers in the world, other foreign nationals engage in the illicit drug business.He added that foreign drug cartels were the ones behind the major drug trafficking in Nigeria.
“They are the ones behind the business, enticing many Nigerians,” said the official.
It was also learned by sharpedgenews.com that the foreign drug cartels usually take advantage of poor Nigerians whom they entice on the cheap to carry out dirty drug business.
Sharpedgenews.com equally learned that drug cartels from Mexico, Bolivia, Pakistan and other countries have taken advantage of security lapses and corruption in Nigeria’s aviation sector to carry out unhindered their nefarious activities.
According to our investigations, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is also aware of the existence of these foreign drug cartels who use the Nigerian market either as an exit point or operational base. The NDLEA recently prevented the perilous incursion of a Pakistani drug cartel into Nigeria with 13 kilograms of high grade heroin.
Operatives of the anti-drug Agency at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos aborted the plot with the prompt arrest of a 35 year-old Pakistani with the parcels of brownish powdery substances that tested positive for heroin hidden inside his hand luggage. Officials described the heroin as high grade with an estimated street value of about 120 million naira.
According to the NDLEA Airport commander, Mr. Hamza Umar, the suspect, Syed Waseem Ahmed Buhari, with Pakistani international passport number BT3347071 arrived aboard a Qatar Airways flight.
“A 35 year old Pakistani was apprehended following the discovery of 13 kilograms of high grade heroin in his hand luggage. A Nigerian clearing and forwarding agent by name Okereke Benjamin Chukwudi, 42, who is suspected to be an accomplice have also been arrested and investigation had commenced” Hamza stated.
Syed, an electrical engineer who hails from Karachi is believed to be working for a Pakistani based drug cartel. He was found to have travelled from Karachi to Abu Dhabi aboard Pakistan Airline flight before taking Qatar airways flight through Doha to Lagos. The suspected Nigerian accomplice, Okereke Benjamin Chukwudi who hails from Ekulobia, Anambra State is cooperating with narcotic investigators.
NDLEA boss added that the arrest of the Pakistani few days after three Bolivians were caught in a suspected case of methamphetamine production is a demonstration of the Agency’s resolve to bring drug traffickers to justice.
According to tips made available to sharpedgenews.com, three Bolivians and a Nigerian were all arrested in connection with a clandestine laboratory for the illicit production of Methamphetamine at satellite town, Lagos.
The three Bolivians who include, Yerko Artunduaga Dorado, 19 years old; Ruben Ticona Jorge, 21 years old; and Hugo Chavez Moreno, 39 years old. The fourth suspect is a 23-year-old Nigerian, Uba Ubachukwu Collins. However, Solomon Azuka Uzoka and Basil Ikechukwu Uzoka are still at large.