Four individuals who were planning to ingest wraps of cocaine before their flight were apprehended by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The arrest took place at the Emerald Hotel in the Ladipo area of Oshodi, Lagos State.

The Director of Media and Advocacy for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, explained that the agency’s officials conducted a raid at the hotel where some of the intending pilgrims were staying.

The arrested individuals include Usman Kamorudeen, Olasunkanmi Owolabi, Fatai Yekini, and Ayinla Kemi. They had prepared 200 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.20 kilograms to swallow before the NDLEA officers stormed their rooms.

Each room contained 100 wraps of the Class A substance, resulting in a total seizure of 200 wraps. The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Marwa (Retd), commended the Lagos state Command of the agency for their successful operation.

He emphasized that the NDLEA will continue to track and apprehend criminals who attempt to use pilgrimage as a cover for their illicit activities, in order to protect the country’s reputation.

Additionally, he stated that the agency will collaborate with Saudi Arabia to ensure that the recipients of seized illicit drug consignments in the country are also identified and dealt with accordingly.