NDLEA has arrested two Qatar-based drug kingpins, following the interception of their methamphetamine consignment at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
Its Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi stated in Abuja on Sunday that those arrested were Eyah Nnamdi, alias Murphy and Ugwuoke Oluchukwu.
He explained that Oluchukwu was the first to be arrested on June 9 during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways passengers at the Lagos airport.
He added that NDLEA officers accosted Oluchukwu travelling to Doha with an Ivorien passport in the name of Hien Narcisse.
Babafemi stated further that a scrutiny of his black carry-on luggage led to the discovery of a false bottom concealing two parcels of crystalline substance that tested positive to methamphetamine and weighing 1kg.
“Preliminary investigation showed that the suspect is a Nigerian who had obtained the Ivorien passport for his travels.
“He confessed that he travelled to Qatar in August 2022 and returned to Nigeria in April 2023 to perfect arrangements for the movement of the drug consignment.
“A further probe led operatives to Oluchukwu’s Qatar-based senior partner in the trade simply identified as Murphy who was lurking around in Eziani, his home town in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
“Oluchukwu who hails from Igboeze North Local Government Area of the state claimed he holds a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering.
“A prompt deployment of NDLEA operatives to Eziani community on June 10 led to the arrest of ‘Murphy’.
“His true identity was later discovered to be Eyah Celestine Nnamdi, who had lived in Indonesia for some years before relocating to Doha,’’ Babafemi stated.
