Vietnam-bound businessman ‘excretes 88 wraps of cocaine’ after arrest at Abuja airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have arrested a Vietnam-bound businessman Paul Mbadugha at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesperson, said in a statement on Sunday, that Mbadugha was arrested after he tested positive to ingestion of cocaine.

Babafemi said the 54-year-old suspect was intercepted at the boarding gate of the Abuja airport on August 12 during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR 1432 to Hanoi, Vietnam via Doha.

“After four days under excretion observation, Mbadugha egested a total of 88 wraps of the illicit drug with a gross weight of 1.710 kilograms,” the statement reads.

“In his statement, he claimed he’s a Lagos based businessman and was given the cocaine pellets to swallow by a friend at Isolo area of the state for onward delivery in Vietnam for a fee of $2,000.”

Babafemi added that NDLEA officers at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos also intercepted a shipment of loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 800 grams concealed in noodles going to Congo.

“A follow up operation at the Alaba International market, Ojo area of Lagos led to the arrest of the sender of the consignment, Nnamani Sunday Sunny, who deals in GSM handsets,” he said.

“Meanwhile, a large consignment of Loud imported from Canada have been recovered by NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport.

“A suspect, Desalu Taophic Temitope, who arrived on board an Air France flight with six boxes was arrested by anti-narcotic officers during a joint examination by security agencies at the arrival hall.

“A total of 65.80 kilograms of the psychoactive substance were recovered from four of the six suitcases.

“In his statement, Desalu said he and an accomplice currently at large were promised $10,000 upon successful delivery of the shipment in Lagos.”