Uche, from Italy, excretes 35 pellets of heroin at Abuja Airport

Uche, from Italy, excretes 35 pellets of heroin at Abuja Airport

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 36-year-old Nigerian based in Italy, Nwakanma Michael Uche at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA Abuja for ingesting pellets of heroin.

Nwakanma hails from Arodizuogu Village, Ideato Local Government Area of Imo State.

A statement issued by NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi on Sunday said Uche was nabbed while trying to board Air France Airline enroute Abuja-Paris-Milan, Italy on Sunday 15th May 2022.

“He was thereafter kept under observation during which he excreted 95 pellets of the illicit drug.

“He claimed he came to see his parents in Nigeria after 12 years in Italy and to complete his father’s traditional marriage rites.

“He added that he was to be paid N1.5million after a successful delivery of the drugs in Milan,” Babafemi said.

He added that across five states of Edo, Kaduna, Kogi, Akwa Ibom and Oyo, NDLEA operatives intensified their offensive action against drug cartels.

“In Edo, a pharmacy along Sapele Road, Benin, was raided on Friday 27th May following intelligence and prolonged surveillance.

“The owner of the store, Thaddeus Uliagbafusi, 58, was arrested while a total of 130,670 tablets of different controlled drugs, 1,396 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 743 bottles of codeine were recovered from a secret location where the drugs are repackaged.

“This followed a similar raid of a drug joint operated by Mrs. Christianah Gabriel, 53, at Uromi, Esan North East LGA, Edo state, who was arrested with 25kg cannabis,” he said.

Babafemi stated that while 15, 000 ampoules of pentazocine injection were seized by operatives in Kaduna along Abuja-Kaduna express road, 12,500 tablets of Diazepam were intercepted along Okene-Abuja highway on Thursday 26th May.

“The drug exhibits were found inside a truck conveying motor spare parts from Onitsha, Anambra to Kaduna. In Akwa Ibom, a female drug dealer, Irene Emmanuel Bassey was arrested on Saturday 28th May, during a search of her house at Ikpa town, Esit Eket LGA where 30.5kg cannabis was recovered, while one Muideen Rasaki was nabbed with 90.8kg cannabis at Elere, Boluwaji Area of Ibadan South-East LGA,” he added.