Intending Hajj Pilgrims Arrested With Wraps Of Cocaine

Ahead of their flight on Wednesday to Saudi Arabia to perform 2024 Hajj, four intending pilgrims have been arrested for planning to ingest wraps of cocaine.

According to reports, the arresr was made by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Thursday.

While narrating how the arrest was made, Director, Media, and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said its officials had raided Emerald Hotel, Ladipo area of Oshodi, Lagos State where some of the intending pilgrims were lodged.

The suspects include Usman Kamorudeen, 31; Olasunkanmi Owolabi, 46; Fatai Yekini, 38; and a lady, Ayinla Kemi, 34.

Reports further revealed that the four suspects were lodged in two rooms in the hotel where they had prepared 200 pellets of cocaine weighing 2.20 kilograms to swallow when NDLEA officers stormed their rooms, and one-hundred wraps of the “Class A” substance were recovered from each of the two rooms, bringing the total seized cocaine to 200 wraps. Two suspects were to swallow 100 wraps each.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Brig Gen Mohamed Marwa (Retd), said on behalf of officers, and men of the Lagos state Command of NDLEA, that agency will continue to spread its dragnet to track, trace and apprehend criminal elements, who may want to hide under pilgrimage, to carry out their nefarious activities capable of denting the image of the country.