NDLEA arrests businessman at Kano airport for packing large consignment of cocaine

An attempt by an import and export businessman, Olisaka Chibuzo Calistus to smuggle 256 wraps of cocaine weighing 6 kilograms into the country through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA, Kano, has been thwarted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.

A statement released by the spokesperson of the anti-drug agency, Femi Babafemi, says the seizure, which is the single largest interception of cocaine at the Kano airport since the creation of MAKIA Command of NDLEA in 2006 was made on Sunday 15th December 2024 during the inward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 941 from Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Olisaka who claims to be in the import and export business was subjected to body screening during which he was found to have packed hundreds of cocaine pellets in his body.

A similar attempt by an ex-convict, Olanrewaju Bada Akorede to export a consignment of Rohypnol to South Africa through the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA Ikeja Lagos, was equally frustrated by NDLEA officers at the airport. The consignment was hidden in a cargo containing gari, shoes, men’s singlets and other items.

Olarenwaju was convicted for a similar crime earlier this year following his arrest on 12th December 2023 for attempting to ship 4.90kg tramadol and 2.10kg Rohypnol to South Africa through the export shed of the Lagos airport. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Lagos with an option to pay a fine of N900,000, which he paid and was freed before returning to repeat the same crime.

Similarly, an Italy-based businesswoman Cynthia Akaeen was on Wednesday 18th December arrested by NDLEA officers while trying to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Italy via Addis Ababa. The suspect was intercepted at the departure point of terminal 2 of the Lagos airport during an outward clearance of passengers going to Italy. A total of 9,190 tablets of various brands of tramadol weighing 6.00kg were recovered from her. According to her, she was promised 1,000 Euros upon successful delivery of the consignment in Italy.