Paris-bound businessman excretes 111 wraps of cocaine at Abuja Airport

A Paris-bound businessman, Emmanuel Orjinze has excreted one hundred and eleven wrapped of cocaine following his arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

The 48-year-old Paris based businessman was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The Agency’s Spokesperson, Mr Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday said Orjinze who also claims he is a professional footballer in Europe was arrested on Tuesday May 21, during the outward clearance of Airfrance flight AF 878 from Abuja to Paris, France.

After a body scan confirmed he ingested illicit drugs, he was taken into custody where he excreted a total of 111 pellets of cocaine that weighed 1.603 kilograms over a period of three days.

The suspect claimed he does business in the maritime sector while still scouting for any European football club to engage him.

In a related development, NDLEA officers operating at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos, have dismantled another drug trafficking syndicate at the airport.

This followed the arrest of four members of the network and the seizure of a total of 8kg of methamphetamine and 7.60kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis imported from South Africa.

The lid was blown off the syndicate when an official within the airport system was intercepted with a backpack and a bag at the departure hall of Terminal 1 of the airport by NDLEA officers with the support of Aviation Security officers on Tuesday May 21, 2024. A search of the bags led to the discovery of the illicit substances.

A swift follow-up operation at Ajao Estate area of Lagos led to the arrest of two other members of the syndicate: Chris Nwadozie and Chinedu Nwaosu. Further investigation led to the arrest of another member of the cartel working within the airport system on Saturday May 25.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO export shed of the Lagos airport also arrested a freight agent, Sonubi Mariam Abiodun over her attempt to cargo eight parcels of cocaine weighing 2kg concealed in three out of six paint buckets containing shea butter packaged for export to the United Kingdom on Wednesday May 22.

Also, at the Igbo Elerin area of Ojo Local Government Area, NDLEA officers on Tuesday May 21, arrested a suspect, Odumegwu Obijofor, allegedly producing and distributing skuchies, a mixture of black currant and illicit drugs. No fewer than 2,480 litres of the New Psychoactive Substance, NPS, were recovered from his clandestine factory when he was arrested.

In Cross River State, while Ogar Emmanuel, was arrested with 2.5kg of cannabis at Ukpada Utugwan village, 29 sacks of the same substance weighing 290kg were recovered from the warehouse of another suspect, Usani Ikpi, who is currently at large.

Three suspects: Sa’adu Sule, 23; Mukhtar Nura, 23; and Hamza Nura, 18, were nabbed at Jabiri Funtua, Katsina State on Friday, May 24, with 129 blocks of cannabis weighing 70kg coming from Ogere, Ogun State.