NDLEA seizes ‘cocaine candies’, arrests man

  

Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have seized 2.605 kilogrammes of cocaine packed as candies.

The agency also arrested a 52-year-old man, Onyejiaju Augustine, who was the owner of the cocaine candies.

The NDLEA spokesperson, Michelle Ofoyeju, said the seizure and the arrest were made at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while the suspect was trying to smuggle the cocaine out of the country.

He said the Imo State-born suspect had been on the list of wanted smugglers and was eventually caught during the screening of passengers enroute Etihad.

Ofoyeju said, “Augustine, who is a specialist in drug had earlier departed Sao Paulo, Brazil, with the illicit drug disguised as candies. He was, however, caught at the MMIA in Lagos.”

The Commander of the agency at thethe airport, Mr. Umar Hamza, confirmed the arrest.

He said, “We made a shocking discovery of 2.605kg of cocaine carefully and neatly packed as candies. The suspect has been arrested and currently under investigation in connection with unlawful possession of cocaine.”

He added that the suspect had confessed to the crime and would be charged to court soon.

Augustine, who was said to have posed as a shop owner to deceive the officials that the cocaine was candies, said, “I own a supermarket in Brazil where I had lived since 2006. I bought the cocaine and concealed it as candies. It was unfortunate that the trick was discovered.”