A 20-year-old Ghanaian-British national, identified as Parker Darren Hazekia Osei, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for attempting to smuggle 19.4kg of Loud, a high-grade strain of cannabis, into Nigeria.
The suspect was intercepted on Thursday, April 3, during the inward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Bangkok, Thailand, at the E-Arrival Hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy for the NDLEA, said in a statement on Sunday that operatives of the agency uncovered 36 parcels of the illicit drug hidden inside a large travel bag.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Osei, who claims to be a Computer Science student at East London University, UK, had flown from London to Bangkok a week earlier to procure the consignment for delivery to Nigeria.
The statement reads in part, “NDLEA officers of the MMIA Strategic Command on Thursday, April 3, intercepted a 20-year-old Ghanaian-British man, Parker Darren Hazekia Osei, with 36 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing 19.40kg, packed in a giant travelling bag.
“The suspect, who claims he is a student of Computer Science at East London University, UK, was arrested during the inward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Bangkok, Thailand, at the E-arrival hall of the Lagos airport.
“In his statement, the techie claims he lives with his parents in the UK but left London about a week ago for Bangkok, where he picked up the illicit drug consignment to deliver to Nigeria.”
“In Abia State, NDLEA officers on Saturday, April 5, arrested a 75-year-old man, Nna Nnanna Felix, with 1.6kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis, during a raid at Umunteke Asa, Ukwa West LGA. Another suspect, David Chinemerem, 21, was nabbed with 2,050 ampoules of pentazocine at 7 Nnajiego Lane, Umuode Road, Aba, on Tuesday, April 1,” the agency added.