NDLEA Catches Trafficker, Orphan With Drugs En-route To Buba Marwa
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a human trafficker who wanted to export illegal drugs to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, making the announcement in a statement Sunday in Abuja, said the trafficker tried to commit the crime by planting the drug in an orphan’s luggage.
Babafemi said the suspect, Matthew Bassey, who allegedly recruited the orphan, Mrs Peter Eno, for a phantom job in an Arab country, was at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja Lagos.
He said that Bassey, 29, of Oron LGA, Akwa Ibom, was arrested on July 6 after Eno was intercepted in Lagos Airport’s departure lounge.
He said Eno’s luggage was searched, 50 packets of cannabis (2.80kg) hidden in groceries were discovered, while there were discrepancies between the age she declared and the date of birth on her international passport.
“Further interviews show that Bassey, the trafficker who recruited them and took them to the airport, was still lurking around the airport waiting for them to leave.
“He was immediately followed and arrested. Investigations revealed that the victim, who is from the same Akwa Ibom Oron LGA as Bassey, recently lost her mother.
“That made it easy for Bassey to recruit her with a promise to get her a job in Dubai, UAE.
“It was further established that the recruiter took advantage of the victim’s naivety and planted drugs in her bag to forward to his contact in Dubai,” he said.
According to Babafemi, the chairman, NDLEA, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa commended the officers and men of MMIA command for staying vigilant and proactive in their areas of responsibility.
Marwa urged her and her colleagues across the country not to rest on their oars.
