Wraps of narcotics have been discovered in the collar of a passenger’s jacket at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.

Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency,NDLEA, arrested the suspect, Agwu Samuel, shortly after disembarking from the aircraft on his way from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Samuel, confidently wore the jacket containing the drugs but through experience and insight, the drugs were discovered by officers. This is the first discovery of cocaine inside the collar of a jacket by the NDLEA.

In his reaction, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Muhammad Abdallah, described the suspect’s action as desperately crafty and cunning.

According to Abdallah, “the cocaine was detected by officers notwithstanding the crafty and cunning mode of concealment, saying the agency has taken some strategic measures aimed at disappointing the tricks employed by drug trafficking syndicates.
He said the agency would continue to invest in capacity building programmes for officers.

NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba, said the suspect was arrested during routine check on passengers, saying ten wraps of cocaine weighing 110 grammes were found inside the collar of his jacket during screening of passengers on a South Africa Airline flight from Brazil through Johannesburg.

Garba, said the drug which was carefully hidden inside his jacket tested positive for cocaine and investigation was ongoing.

Samuel, the suspect who sells shoes in Togo, said he went to Brazil in search of greener pastures but resorted to drug trafficking due to frustration.

According to the suspect, “I use to sell shoes in Togo until I lost goods worth N3 million, this negatively affected my business and made me to travel to Brazil in a desperate search for greener pastures.

He will soon be charged to court.