Okoguale Douglas 23,a Nigerian resident in Italy has excreted 59 wraps of heroin weighing 781 2 grammes following his arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Douglas who hails from Uromi in Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA at the boarding gate of Ethiopian Airline flight number 910 to Milan, Italy after scan proved positive for ingestion .
On interrogation, the suspect said he has been living in Italy since 2011 after entering the country via Libya with one of his uncles.
Douglas claimed to work as a restaurant attendant in Italy, where he earns 900 Euro every month and also works as painter on his free days and gets about 400 Euro.
The suspect who confessed he was promised 2000 Euro if he successfully delivers the drug to Milan, explained that he came to Nigeria on April 4,2021 for the burial if his father in Esan,Edo.
Accordiing to him, after spending so much during the burial he ran out of money and decided to seek financial support from one of his Nigerian friends in Italy.
He claimed that his friend told him he would send him money on the ground that he would collect a consignment for him from a friend of his in Nigeria.
Douglas said contrary to the initial arrangement,he was called by a man on April 29,2021 who asked him to come down to Abuja, where he was picked up by two other unknown men from Utako area and lodged in a hotel which he claimed he does not know the address
He said the men brought the wrapped drug to him in a hotel on Friday night, after which he swallowed the 59 wraps early on May 1,2021 and was promised 2000 Euro on successful delivery to Milan, Italy
The NDLEA Commander in charge of NAIA Command, Kabir Sani Tsakuwa said efforts were still ongoing to unravel other suspects connected to the crime.
Speaking on the development, the Chairman/ Chief Executive of the Agency,Brig.- Gen Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the officers of the airport command for their resilience and charged all officers of the agency across the country to be vigilant to ensure that no drug is allowed in or out of the country
