National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), has apprehended four suspected drug traffickers, including a Birmingham-based cleaner, with 6.822kg of narcotics worth N61 million. The Birmingham-based cleaner was alleged to have excreted 30 wraps of cocaine weighing 479 grammes. A statement by the agency’s spokesman, Ofoyeju Mitchell, said the seized drugs consisted of 4.193kg of heroin and 2.629kg of cocaine destined for Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia; Birmingham, United Kingdom; Rome, Italy and Mumbai, India. NDLEA commander at the airport, Hamisu Lawan, said those arrested were caught attempting to smuggle the drugs out of the country. He said:

“Four suspected drug traffickers have been apprehended with 6.822kg of cocaine and heroin. “The suspects include Umeh Chidiebere Gabriel, 36, going to Birmingham with suspected 479 grammes of cocaine; Ozoike Kelechi John, 34, going to Rome through Addis Ababa with suspected 2.8kg of heroin; Azubuike Francis Okwochukwu, 38, going to Addis Ababa with suspected 1.393kg of heroin and Okoro Godfrey Ogbonna, 42, going to Mumbai with suspected 2.150kg of cocaine. “Umeh Chidiebere Gabriel, who lives in Birmingham, United Kingdom, was arrested at the boarding gate of the airport after testing positive for drug ingestion while trying to board an Air France flight to the United Kingdom through Charles De Gaulle, Paris. (Sunday Vanguard)

•Photo shows NDLEA Chairman Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah.