Saudi Arabia bound pilgrims have been arrested by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA after it raided Emerald Hotel, Ladipo area of Oshodi, Lagos state where the intending pilgrims to the ongoing hajj were lodged. They were found ingesting wraps of cocaine ahead of their flight to the holy land on Wednesday.
In a statement signed on Thursday by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, the intelligence-led operation arrested four suspects which include Usman Kamorudeen, 31; Olasunkanmi Owolabi, 46; Fatai Yekini, 38; and a lady, Ayinla Kemi, 34.
The suspects were lodged in two rooms in the hotel where they had prepared 200 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.20 kilograms to swallow when NDLEA officers stormed their rooms.
One hundred wraps of the Class A substance were recovered from each of the two rooms bringing the total seizure to 200 wraps. Two suspects were to swallow 100 wraps each.
Mohamed Buba Marwa, the Chief Executive Officer of the Agency said the agency will continue to spread its dragnet to track, trace and apprehend criminal elements who may want to hide under pilgrimage to carry out their nefarious activities capable of denting the image of the country.
While commending the Commander, officers and men of the Lagos state Command of NDLEA, which conducted the operation, the NDLEA boss also stated that “the Agency will work with our counterparts in Saudi Arabia to ensure that the designated recipients of seized illicit drug consignments in any part of Saudi Arabia are also traced and dealt with accordingly”