By IBIRONKE ARIYO

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled bizarre plots by two suspected drug traffickers to move consignments of cocaine and opioids in Kano and Lagos States, respectively.

A statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, of the agency, Femi Babafemi, issued to newsmen on Sunday in Abuja, said that the drugs were concealed in their stomach and fake baby bump.

Babafemi said that the drugs were to be moved through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Kano and the Seme land border in Lagos, to Europe and other destinations.

Highlighting the breakdown, Babafemi stated that a Kano-based businesswoman, 35-year-old, was intercepted by officials of the NDLEA at the departure tarmac of the Seme land border.

He said that the suspect who had a protruding tummy, was nabbed on Monday, while attempting to cross to Cotonou in the Benin Republic.

According to him, a full body search however revealed the absurd.

“Her pregnancy was fake and her baby bump was designed with a pink coloured calabash.

“The suspect has used it to conceal 3,200 capsules of tramadol, which she tied around her stomach and was taking them to Cotonou to sell,” he explained.

Similarly, on the same day in Kano, Babafemi said that the NDLEA operatives at the screening point of the departure hall of MAKIA, intercepted a 41-year-old Ivorian, drug suspect.

He said that the arrest was during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 to Milan, Malpensa via Addis Ababa.

“When he was taken for body scan, the result confirmed ingestion of illicit substances.

“As a result, he was placed under observation, during which he excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.49 kilograms.

“The suspect had arrived Lagos from Milan on January 17 and was shuttling from Lagos to Enugu for three weeks.

“He later travelled to Kano where he stayed for a week, before ingesting the cocaine consignment in his hotel room.

“He is expected to be paid 5,000 Euros, when he delivers the drugs in Milan,”he said.

Babafemi added that the suspect who hails from Reu duce Avenue 13 Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, claimed his father, is an Ivorian, while his mother is from Anunwa compound, Urunnebo village, Ukwan in Enugu State.

He added that the suspect applied for asylum in Italy in 2013 and obtained a resident permit which would expire on May 25, while processing a Nigerian National Identification Number (NIN) with a different name. (NAN)