(PICTURE) Suspected Trafficker Excretes 72 Drug Wraps, Dies Later

Posted by admin Headlines, NDLEA (Anti-Drug Agency), Raw Politics Saturday, February 19th, 2011

THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has expressed regret over the death of a 50-year old suspected drug trafficker, Gozie Vincent Offiah who was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos recently in connection with exportation of narcotics.

Offiah was said to have tested positive to drug ingestion at the central screening section during the outward clearance of passengers on Emirates flight to Korea.

The late suspect was said to have excreted 72 wraps of substances that tested positive for methamphetamine weighing 1.115kg.

In a post mortem examination carried out on the body yesterday afternoon in a Lagos hospital, 43 additional wraps that got stuck were recovered from Offiah’s stomach. This brought the total wraps ingested to 115.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect had bought the drugs he ingested with the intention of selling when he got to Korea unlike others who smuggle drugs for a fee. He was also suspected to be a professional courier for ingesting 115 wraps and having $10,000 cash on him.

Offiah was reported to have complained of acute pains and was rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, he died from complications caused by the ingested drugs.

Worried by the sad development, the Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA Ahmadu Giade reiterated his call for stiffer penalty for drug offences. According to him, there is need for stiffer penalty to reduce the attraction for the money spinning trade in narcotics.

“It is obvious that what is required is longer jail terms. I have always insisted that unless the punishment is commensurate to the high profit, the anti-drug war will attract more people who see it as an escape route from poverty. We need to discourage drug trafficking in strong terms,” Giade stated.

He noted that in spite of the apparent danger associated with the unwholesome mode of drug concealment, drug ingestion is especially prevalent among drug traffickers in the country.

NDLEA Commander at the airport, Alhaji Hamza Umar said the suspect was the first to die from complications arising from methamphetamine ingestion.

“Before now, cases of deaths recorded by the agency were due to cocaine ingestion. This is a confirmation that narcotics are highly poisonous and should not be ingested,” he said, adding that ingestion of methamphetamine is a recent development and that it is of concern to the authority.

The suspect who was reported to be aggressive shortly after his arrest hailed from Anambra State.

He claimed to have invested his last savings in the illicit drug trade with the hope of buying more goods.

In his statement to the anti-narcotics officer soon after his arrest, Offiah stated that “my arrest is a big blow and I find it difficult to recover from the loss. I took the risk to transform my financial fortunes if successful. Now my hope, my business and my entire life have been destroyed. I do not know where to start from now”.

The NDLEA boss has ordered release of Offiah’s body to the family.wp_posts