live in Madrid, Spain, was caught by the NDLEA
at the MMA, Lagos with 6.490kg of high grade
Brazilian cocaine worth the sum of N72 million.
The 364 wraps of cocaine, already prepared for
injection and hidden inside his hand luggage
were discovered during the inward screening of
passengers on an Etihad flight and he was en-
route to earn N3.3 million.
He said: "This is my first time of smuggling drugs
and I was lured with an offer of 3.3 million naira.
I used to work in construction sites in Madrid to
earn a living but it has been
difficult securing a job since the global economic
melt-down. I collected the drug while on transit
at Abudabi on my way from Milan. I never knew
that I will be caught here in Nigeria. My plan was
to invest the 3.3 million naira in business. Since
my arrest I have been unable to eat because I do
not know how my pregnant wife and two kids
will cope without my financial support"
According to the suspect, Francis Bawaba, who
hailed from Imo State, his concern is how his
pregnant wife and two children will cope in his
absence.
As the NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport,
Mr. Hamza Umar explained, "Our investigation
has revealed that the suspect took off from
Malpensa, Milan and collected the drug while on
transit at Abudabi. He had given us very useful
information that we are already working on"
The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA,
Ahmadu Giade assured culprits of maximum
penalty for drug trafficking offences. Giade
stated: "The essence of punishment is to correct
the offender and deter people from indulging in
a crime. Drug trafficking demands stiffer
punishment to serve as deterrence because of
the high profit it generates. The Agency will
continue to ensure that the appropriate
punishment is enforced at all times.
Stakeholders in the criminal justice system must
understand that stringent punishment is crucial
to a sustainable victory in the anti-narcotic
campaign"
No comments:
Post a Comment