The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 28-year-old man, Maduagwu Charles, at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, with three kilogrammes cocaine.
The NDLEA Commander in charge of the airport, Ambrose Umoru, who made the disclosure in Kano while briefing newsmen on the arrest, said that “the high-grade pure cocaine worth N81 million can make up to nine kilogrammes of the substance when diluted.”
Umoru said the suspect was apprehended during screening of passengers of Egypt Air Flight Number MS 879.
He added that “the suspect boarded Ethiopian Airline flight No. ET 507 from Sao Paulo in Brazil and transited to Cairo, Egypt, before arriving in Kano via Egypt Airline.
“The substance was neatly sealed in the body-hollow of two loud speakers brought by the suspect,” he said.
The commander said the substance was concealed in a new mode of concealment by drug merchants, adding that the suspect would be charged to court after investigation, .
He warned drug barons and other carriers to desist from the illegal act as the agency would continue to discover their new modus operandi at the airport.
Answering questions from newsmen, Charles admitted being in possession of two loud speakers but denied knowledge of the substance.
He said that the loud speakers belonged to a stranger he met at the airport and offered to assist him to bring them down to Nigeria.
He said “yes, I was caught with three kilogrammes of cocaine but I didn’t know what I was carrying.
“I met somebody who identified himself as a Nigerian in Egypt while I was making a call.
“He discovered that I was coming to Nigeria and he pleaded with me to assist him to deliver the speakers to somebody here in Kano.
“He gave me an MTN Sim card and asked me to activate it when I come to Nigeria so that the owner of the loud speakers can call me for his property, but I did not know that cocaine was concealed inside.’’
Charles, who said he is from Imo, added that he had lived in Brazil for 18 months “and all the while, I was engaged in menial jobs.’’