By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have arrested an ex-international footballer, Segun George Hunkarin along with his businessman partner Ntoruka Emmanuel Chinedu over attempt to smuggle a consignment of cocaine into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport,(MMIA) Ikeja, Lagos.
This was contained in a statement by the spokesperson of the agency, Femi Babafemi on Sunday.
He said, Chinedu who imports clothes from Turkey to Nigeria and foodstuffs from Nigeria to Turkey, was the first to be arrested upon his arrival at the Lagos airport on June 24.
According to him, a search of his carry-on bag revealed 37 wraps of cocaine weighing 800grams were concealed therein.
NDLEA investigation showed that the suspect was coming from Turkey on Ethiopian Airlines flight but transited through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he collected the luggage from another person before heading to Nigeria.
“Further checks revealed that an accomplice who turned out to be the former professional footballer, Segun Hunkarin, was waiting for Chinedu at the airport carpark to collect the consignment from him.
“Hunkarin who had stayed years in Brazil playing for football clubs was promptly tracked and arrested at the carpark.” He said
According to the NDLEA, Hunkarin claimed in his statement that while playing professional football in the South American country, he had only trafficked drugs twice from Brazil to Ethiopia but has never brought any to Nigeria.
Another Europe based businessman, Amen Okoro Godstime was on June 27 arrested by NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport while attempting to traffic 5,000 pills of tramadol, 225mg packaged as known malaria drugs such as Lonart, Amatem and Aluktem to Spain.
He was intercepted at the departure hall of terminal 2 of the airport during the outward clearance of passengers on Royal Air Maroc flight to Spain through Casablanca.
Okoro who is into freight and logistics business between Europe and Nigeria claimed that on his arrival in Spain, he would take a train to France where he resides and from there send the tramadol consignment to Italy for retailing.
The Statement added that “At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu, NDLEA operatives on June 27 intercepted a Maputo, Mozambique based bar attendant Ezenwaka Chibuzor Emmanuel.
A search of his luggage led to the discovery of 17 cardboard size parcels of methamphetamine weighing 17.500 kilograms and three parcels of cocaine weighing 3.050 kilograms.
