Security operatives attached to the joint border patrol at Seme have arrested popular crossers of smuggled goods at the Seme border area of Badagry, a suburb of Lagos State, Ismaila Aliu, 28, and Edwin Igwe, 39 who help drug traffickers cross Indian hemp, also known as Skonk, from Ghana to Nigeria.
Ismaila and Edwin are known to load or offload thousands of boxes containing different items on trucks every night at the popular J5 Park. It is said that they make huge money by helping to cross contraband goods into Nigeria through numerous illegal routes.
It was further learnt that these crossers often receive drug money from dealers overseas in the form of goods, often shipped along with legitimate merchandise. Recently, they were tracked and arrested by some detectives attached to the border patrol team and about 20 bags of weeds suspected to be cannabis were recovered from them.
In his confessional statement, Ismaila said parts of the methods they employ to avoid arrest include packaging the smuggled drugs in form of the bible.
“At times, loosely parked bags containing used cloths such as underwear and dirty ones are used to conceal drugs. At first glance, security operatives would pay less attention to this and allow the trafficker to go,” he revealed, adding that they know the worth of a good through the amount offered by its owner.
Explaining his role in the incident that led to his arrest, Ismaila said, “I am from Badagry. I work at Seme border. My work is to cross contraband goods. I cross many things, including rice, groundnut oil, turkey meat and sausage rolls. I was not around when this thing happened.
“I have some small boys who work for me. My role is to cross anything they want me to cross for a fee.
“That fateful day, they called me to come and carry goods. When I came, I saw them with policemen and I asked what the matter was. They told me that what they carried attracted the police. I looked at the goods they were talking about and they looked like bibles and others looked like video tapes (CDs).
“I tried to call the person who bought the load and told him that there was a problem and that he should bring money for the problem to be solved.
“I told him to bring N500,000, but he brought only N480,000. I also called the owner of the goods through my elder brother and he promised to make the owner come quickly. The owner is an Igbo man.”
On his part, Edwin said, “I am from Mkpor in Nnewi South of Anambra State. My work is to load goods into vehicles for a fee. I am based at the border between Togo and Ghana. We work for so many people. We are like the agbero who have no choice in the type of work they do as far as it will fetch them money for food and drinks.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Zone 2, Bala Hassan, who paraded the suspects at the zonal headquarters, Onikan, said his men were determined to reduce the activities of criminals in the area, saying that Indian hemp induces violent crimes and cultism. He said their arrest was as a result of reliable information, adding that the substance would be handed over to the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the end of investigation.