An alleged serial drug peddler, Azubuike Odugwe, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Friday.
Odugwe was said to have been caught with 1.025kg of a substance suspected to be cocaine, concealed in duty-free polythene inside his luggage at the inward screening of passengers on Emirates airline flight from Dubai.
According to Spokesman of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria, “Odugwe, who is currently on bail over several drug charges brought against him by the Agency, was found with wraps of cocaine at the MMIA, Lagos.
“This mode of drug concealment in duty-free bags is similar to the last drug charge involving him.”
NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade
The suspect was said to have been a kingpin who financed drug-peddling trips for minions ready to embark on such dangerous trips.
According to the NDLEA statement, Odugwe was arrested in a follow-up operation to the arrest of Josephine Olehi who was caught with 3.150kg of heroin on Dec. 29, 2009 at the Lagos airport on arrival from Dubai.
He was equally linked with two other cases involving heroin trafficking. He was arrested on July 26, 2007 for sponsoring one Anagozie John Kennedy to Pakistan to import 1.296 kilogrammes of substances that tested positive for heroin.
Furthermore, Odugwe on March 11, 2009, was rearrested after another attempt to take delivery of 3kg of heroin from a drug courier identified as Sodiq Hameed.
The drug was packed in a polythene bag and concealed inside a duty-free polythene bag similar to the mode of concealment adopted by Josephine Olehi.
The NDLEA says the agency will make sure that the case, which will soon be charged to court, is well prosecuted.
“We shall diligently prosecute and dispossess him of illegal drug proceeds,’’ Ahmadu Giade, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, told NAN.