The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered a plot to use noodles packs to smuggle cannabis through the International Airport in Enugu State on a plane to China.
Benson Esonwunne with the flavored dry noodles he used to conceal drugs (Photo: NDLEA)
Mitchell Ofoyeju, the spokesman for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has revealed that the agency uncovered a plot to use dry chicken flavoured noodles to smuggle cannabis through the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) in Enugu State on a plane to China.
The alleged culprit, Benson Onyechi Esonwunne, was attempting to board an Ethiopian Airways flight from Nigeria to China when he convinced an innocent passenger to carry the box of packaged chicken flavoured noodles for him on the plane.
Esonwunne said that he began trafficking drugs because Nigeria’s economy was so poor, and its exchange rate so unfavourable, that he needed to turn to the illegal activity to get by.
Chicken flavored dry noodles used to smuggle cannabis (Photo: NDLEA)
Mr. Ofoyeju said, “The cannabis was carefully prepared inside packs of noodles to avoid detection.
“It is instructive that people be aware of this trick because what they consider as an assistance may just send them to prison or early graves. This is because drug trafficking is punishable by death in China.”
The NDLEA statement also revealed that Esonwunne had been deported from China two times prior for immigration offenses in 2008 and on May of this year.