A female aviation security officer has foiled attempt by two Mozambique citizens to smuggle over 7.2 kilograms of methaphitamine and ephedrine out of the country through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos.
The AVSEC officer, Olupeju Oluwaseun detected the bag containing the illicit drugs with tag number SA2312119 at the baggage hall on Wednesday.
This led to discovery led to the discovery of three other bags with tag numbers SA232117, SA232116 and SA232120 also belonging to the same Mozambicans.
The AVSEC officer was said to have become suspicious of the first bag after it had gone through the scanning machine.
The officer was said to have thus insisted that the bag should be checked manually to be sure that her suspicion was wrong. Officers of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA were consequently invited to search the bag.The search led to the discovery that the bag has a false bottoms packed full of illicit drugs.NDLEA Lagos Airport commander, Garba Ahmadu who confirmed the arrest said the suspected drug traffickers were arrested while trying to board a South African Airways flight.
“The drugs were discovered in a false bottom during security screening of the bag by a female aviation security officer of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN who later handed the suspected bag to officials of the NDLEA”.
“Three other bags containing same illicit drugs belonging to the traffickers were later discovered already parked inside the aircraft with the assistance of the airline”.
According to the NDLEA airport commander, during investigation, it was discovered that the two Mozambicans came into the country on a religious pilgrimage and were heading back home.
He commended the female AVSEC officer for her insistence that the bag containing the illicit drugs be checked, adding that collaborations like this would help to bring to the barest drug trafficking through the airport.
The suspects are still in the custody of the NDLEA as investigation was still on- going to get other members of the drug ring.(Sahara Reporters)
