An airline passenger identified as Ozoh Ikenna who was arrested at Lagos international airport while attempting to smuggle 23 wraps containing $34,000, has revealed that he hid the wraps under his pants when he could not swallow it.
"I was only a courier. I was paid to smuggle the $34,000 to Brazil. They promised to pay me five per cent. I agreed to smuggle the money to alleviate my financial hardship. I could not swallow the wraps, so I decided to hide it in my underpants."
The money recovered from the suspected courier.
Ofoyeju Mitchell, Head of Public Affairs, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), disclosed that "Ozoh Ikenna was arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on his way to Brazil. The money was detected during the screening of passengers for an Etihad Airways flight to Abu Dhabi," adding that "the suspect packed the dollars in wraps and concealed in his boxer shorts".
NDLEA airport commander, Ahmadu Garba, said the arrest was facilitated by a scanning machine.
"We also conducted a follow-up operation where one Ogbo Emmanuel who gave Ozoh the $34,000 dollars was arrested. Investigation by the Assets and Financial Investigation Directorate, headed by Mrs Victoria Egbase, revealed that the suspects were involved in the laundering of substantial amounts of illicit drug proceeds.
"Over two hundred and twenty-six million Naira (N226,000,000) was traced to one bank account belonging to the second suspect, Ogbo Emmanuel. The account name is Eternal God International Limited."