The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Saturday, said it had
obtained closed-circuit television footage of how the Arik Air crew
member, Ikechukwu Oliver, the main accomplice, who works as a catering
loader, smuggled three bags of cocaine among food supplies.
The
anti-narcotics agency had also invited a 32-year-old younger brother of
the main suspect, Chika Udensi, for questioning over his alleged
complicity in the ongoing investigation of 20kg of cocaine seized by the
United Kingdom Border Force from his brother, Uwachi Udensi, at the
Heathrow Airport.
According to the NDLEA, three vehicles, a Land
Rover Sports Utility Vehicle, an Equinox Chevrolet
and a Dodge Hemi
Magnum, have been seized from the main suspect.
Operatives of the
NDLEA had stormed the headquarters of Arik Air in Ikeja, Lagos, on
Tuesday night, following the arrest of an Arik Air crew member.
The NDLEA agents had also searched Udensi’s latest Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle parked in the airline’s premises.
Udensi
was arrested at the London Heathrow Airport shortly after an Arik Air
flight W3101, that departed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport,
Lagos, touched down in the UK.
Officials of the NDLEA had put the street value of the drug found with the suspect at £350,000 (N105m).
In
a statement by the Head, Public Affairs, NDLEA, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju,
on Saturday, the agency said narcotic investigators were still working
on evidence gathered on the case so far.
The statement read in
part, “Further investigation has shown that Mr. Chika, the main suspect,
lives an ostentatious lifestyle far beyond his salary. He is also
believed to be involved in laundering illicit proceeds of drugs under
the cover of automobile importation.
“The operational tasking
order issued by the NDLEA Chairman to its operatives to look inwards
into the activities of the agency and other airport workers is an
immediate measure to avert acts of compromise calculated to undermine
airport security.”
The NDLEA also stated that the management of Arik Air was giving necessary assistance to the agency.
The
statement also quoted the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu
Giade, to have expressed his satisfaction with the success of the
investigation and directed investigators to further widen their search
for more.
Source: Punch
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