The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA has arrested a 51-year-old mother of four at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos with a huge pack of cocaine and heroin.
NDLEA’s Head of Public Affairs, Ofoyeju Mitchell, has aid in a statement that the mother of four children hid 3.44kg of the drugs in a body cream bottle which she kept among her possession during the outward screening of passengers on an Emirates flight to China.
“NDLEA Airport Commander, Umar Hamza, who confirmed the arrest, gave the name of the suspect as Muyinotu Alade.”
Hamza was quited in the statement as saying Alade was caught with 150 wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.725kg, and 150 wraps of heroin, weighing 1.715kg, respectively concealed in a container of body cream in her luggage.
“The total weight of the drugs is 3.44kg. The case is currently under investigation,” the commander was quoted as saying.
In her statement, the suspect said she was offered $4,000 to smuggle the drugs to China.
“I used to import clothes from Dubai and China when my business was going well. I even had a shop at Balogun market. My problem started when I lost my shop and was unable to rent another one. Since then, things had gone from bad to worse.
“My major concern is that I have four children living with me and I am separated from my husband. It was a friend that introduced me to the people that gave me the drugs. They bought my return ticket and offered me $4, 000,” She appealed.
The Chairman of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, has however described the action of Mrs Alade as unfortunate and condemnable.
“China is one of the countries with capital punishment for drug trafficking. It is unfortunate for a mother of four to get involved in such a criminal act.
“If not for our vigilance that led to her arrest, she would have been killed abroad and her children left to suffer endlessly”, he said.
