Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, have detected parcels of cocaine hidden inside the sole of shoes.
The consignment of shoes, in which the cocaine was discovered, was said to have originated from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The owner of the luggage has been arrested, while two other suspected drug traffickers who tested positive and excreted narcotic, are also being investigated.
A white powdery substance found to be cocaine with a total weight of 3.950kgs were seized from the suspects.
NDLEA commander at the Lagos Airport, Ahmadu Garuba, said that one of the suspects concealed the drugs inside shoe soles while the remaining two ingested wraps of cocaine.
Garuba said, “Three suspects have been arrested with a total of 3.950kgs of cocaine. They are Mbatugosi Paul Ifechukwu, 32 years old, caught with 1.950kgs of cocaine hidden inside shoe soles; Adugba Ugochukwu Godson, 34, who ingested 1.50kgs of cocaine on his way to Sydney, Australia and Onuoha Friday Dominic, 42, found to have ingested 850 grammes of cocaine from Brazil.
“The cases are under investigation and will be charged to court soon”.
Mbatugosi Paul Ifechukwu, who used to sell shoes at Enugu, said that he was introduced to drug trafficking by a friend he met in Brazil.
“After my graduation from Technical College in my home town, Ihiala, Anambra State in 2002; I went to Enugu where I was selling shoes. In 2015, I travelled to Brazil in search of better opportunities. However, while in Brazil, I worked as a barber to earn a living. After a year and three months in Brazil, I was disappointed because I had no savings. So, I decided that I will get some money and be exporting shoes to Nigeria.
“It was in the process of looking for a start-up capital that a friend introduced me to drug trafficking. My friend bought the shoes and prepared the drugs inside 13 pairs. This is my first time and I was caught,” Mbatugosi said.
The second suspect, Adugba Ugochukwu Godson, who ingested 1.150kgs of cocaine, said that he wanted to visit his wife in Sydney, Australia when he was caught.
“I was travelling to visit my wife, who lives in Australia, when a friend introduced me to drug trafficking. Initially, I turned down the idea because I never wanted anything that would tarnish my reputation. He later convinced me that I will never be caught and also promised me the sum of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000).
“This was how I fell for him and found myself in this mess” Adugba who hails from Abia State said.
Onuoha Friday Dominic, who was found to have ingested 850 grammes of cocaine, equally blamed his involvement on friends.
He travelled to Brazil in search of better opportunities but was unable to get job satisfaction.
“I was not satisfied working as an event planner in Brazil because the salary was just for subsistence living. After paying my bills, there was little or nothing left. That was how I was introduced to drug trafficking. My friend said that the only way to make quick money was through drug trafficking. He promised to pay me $15,000 and I agreed to swallow the drugs” Onuoha said.
In his reaction, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (rtd), expressed satisfaction with the arrest of the suspects.
“Every arrest and seizure of drugs is a victory over drug syndicates. The NDLEA will continue to consolidate on the operational successes so far recorded by maintaining vigilance at all entry and exit points. This will be complimented with public awareness programmes on illegal drug production, trafficking and use aimed at reducing demand for drugs” Abdallah stated.
