NDLEA Nabs 52-Year-Old Brazilian Returnee Drug Peddler

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 52-year-old Brazilian returnee drug peddler, Okolie Paulinus Nwabueze at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

Nwabueze, a father of two, was arrested for importing Ninety Two (92) wraps of cocaine, which he ingested and eventually excreted after days under observation in the Agency’s facility.

The 53-year-old trafficker who hails from Mmaku village, Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State was arrested upon his arrival on Qatar Airline flight enroute Brazil-Doha-Abuja.

He claimed to have left Nigeria to Mozambique in 2004 and finally relocated to Brazil in 2017, where he obtained a residence permit before deciding to import the illicit substance for a $4,0p.

In Kogi, a suspect, Paul Ali, 47, was arrested along Okene-Abuja highway with 1,404 bottles of Codeine based syrup weighing 190.94kg and 2,040 ampoules of pentazocine injection coming from Onitsha to Sokoto.

A follow-up operation in Sokoto has also led to the arrest of the receiver of the consignment on Tuesday 6th Sept.

A raid at the cannabis plantation camp in Emure forest, Owo LGA, Ondo State has led to the arrest of Monday Onoja, 20; Daniel Kehinde, 25; and Obinna Okechukwu, 35, where sixteen (16) bags of the illicit substance weighing 179.5kg were seized from them.

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) in his reaction to the arrests and seizures, commended the officers and men of the NAIA, MMIA, DOGI, MAKIA, Kano, Kogi, Edo, Ondo and Gombe Commands for their resilience. 

He charged them and their compatriots in other commands to remain focussed and vigilant in their areas of responsibility.