NDLEA arrests Thailand returnee with N3.1bn heroine
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Oguejiofor Nnaemeka Simonpeter, a 29-year-old recent returnee from Thailand, for attempting to smuggle heroin valued at over N3.1 billion through Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
The NDLEA reported that Simonpeter, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli, Anambra State, attempted to bring in 13.30 kilograms of heroin concealed in six backpacks packed into two suitcases.
READ ALSO: NDLEA arrests Canadian in Lagos for trafficking synthetic Cannabis
Simonpeter had traveled on a Qatar Airways flight from Thailand, with a stopover in Doha before arriving in Lagos on October 5. After he arrived, he allegedly requested his luggage be rerouted from Accra, Ghana, to Nigeria in an attempt to evade detection. Upon his arrival, NDLEA officers at the airport intercepted him and discovered the heroin sewn into the backpacks.
In a statement by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Simonpeter claimed he was hired to deliver the parcels in Nigeria and Ghana in exchange for $7,000.
Additionally, NDLEA operatives recently seized opioids worth N22.7 billion at the Lekki, Apapa, and Port Harcourt seaports. These included over 32.6 million Tramadol pills and bottles of codeine-based syrup, both flagged by NDLEA intelligence. Ongoing operations across the country have led to further arrests, including individuals with large quantities of cannabis in Anambra and Edo states.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa praised the officers for their continued success in both intercepting drugs and educating communities on the risks of drug abuse.
READ ALSO: NDLEA intercepts ex-con with 817 excreted pellets of cocaine at Lagos airport
He emphasized the importance of balanced drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts in the agency’s approach.
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