South African arrested with ‘Mkpulu Mmiri’ consignment at Abuja airport

<p>A South African, Erasmus Jean-Pierre, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja over attempt to smuggle 2.6 kilogrammes of methamphetamine, also known as Mkpulu Mmiri, via the Nigerian airport to the Middle East</p>, <p>A press statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, read that: “Attempt by a 29-year-old South African, Erasmus Jean – Pierre, to export 2.6 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in his luggage to the Middle East through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA Abuja on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, was thwarted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, who arrested him and recovered the illicit drug.”</p>, <p>He disclosed that the suspect was intercepted by NDLEA operatives during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 404 from Abuja to the Middle East via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, stating that a thorough search of his luggage led to the discovery of the whitish powdery illicit substance factory packed in different parts of the bag.</p>, <p>Babafemi said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect arrived Lagos through Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday, August 19, came to Abuja on Tuesday, August 22, and took possession of the brown bag containing the drug consignment last Wednesday before heading to the Abuja airport for his flight out of Nigeria.</p>, <p>Meanwhile, NDLEA officers in Gombe state on patrol along Darazo road last Monday recovered an abandoned Volkswagen Sharon vehicle marked GME 76 XD containing a total of 373,420 pills of opioids including tramadol and diazepam.</p>, <p>Also, operatives in Ogun State raided the home of a drug dealer, Ifeanyi Orji in Ibafo area of the state last Wednesday, where 81,000 tablets of tramadol 225mg weighing 32.4 kilogrammes were recovered.</p>, <p>In Adamawa state, NDLEA operatives last Tuesday recovered 60,000 pills of tramadol from a suspect, Ibrahim Ab