A 27-year-old man has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for concealing substances suspected to be cocaine inside soles of female shoes.
The suspect, Mama Solomon, was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State during search of passengers on board an Etihad flight.
The cocaine weighed 2.235kg.
The NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport, Hamza Umar said: “The suspect claimed to be a shoe merchant, however, during interrogation it was revealed that he only used the shoes as modes of concealing the cocaine. Solomon had two bags containing female shoes and hand bags. The drug was discovered in the soles of the female shoes and he was immediately arrested.”
According to Solomon, he was given the bag by a friend in Brazil to take to Nigeria.
He said: “I live and work in Brazil. I was given the drug with a promise that I will be handsomely rewarded if I successfully deliver the bag in Nigeria. They also assured me that somebody will help me in collecting the bags at the airport in Nigeria. Unfortunately, officers demanded to search my bag and in the process, the cocaine was found in my bag.”
The Chairman of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, said: “This seizure will serve as a warning to drug cartels. Efforts shall be intensified to train and retrain officers on interdiction techniques and intelligence gathering in order to maintain our superiority over drug traffickers. NDLEA shall continue to seize narcotic drugs and prosecute offenders.”
The suspect risks 15 years jail term if convicted on the charge of unlawful possession of cocaine.