Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted a cocaine shipment at Emerald Hotel in the Ladipo area of Oshodi, Lagos, on Wednesday, arresting four suspects attempting to smuggle the drug to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, made this known in a statement shared on the NDLEA’s website on Thursday.
According to the statement, the suspects, Usman Kamorudeen (31), Olasunkanmi Owolabi (46), Fatai Yekini (38), and Ayinla Kemi (34), had prepared 200 cocaine pellets (2.2kg) for ingestion before their flight.
The statement read: “Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have raided Emerald Hotel in the Ladipo area of Oshodi, Lagos State, where some intending pilgrims to the ongoing Hajj in Saudi Arabia were lodged.
They were caught in the act of ingesting wraps of cocaine ahead of their flight to the holy land on Wednesday, June 5, 2024.
“Those arrested during the intelligence-led operation include Usman Kamorudeen, 31; Olasunkanmi Owolabi, 46; Fatai Yekini, 38; and a lady, Ayinla Kemi, 34.
The four suspects were lodged in two rooms in the hotel, where they had prepared 200 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.2kg to swallow when NDLEA officers stormed their rooms.
“One hundred wraps of the Class A substance were recovered from each of the two rooms, bringing the total seizure to 200 wraps. Two suspects were to swallow 100 wraps each.”
NDLEA boss Buba Marwa also stated that the agency will collaborate with their counterparts in Saudi Arabia to ensure that the designated recipients of the seized illicit drug consignments are traced and dealt with accordingly.
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