CHAIRMAN/chief executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Alhaji Ahmadu Giade had reiterated his determination to deal decisively with every member of a notorious drug cartel operating at the Murtala Mohammed International
Airport (MMIA) Lagos.

Giade made the call yesterday, following the arrest of additional two suspected members of a syndicate that specialises in smuggling unsearched luggage into aircrafts to avoid being detected by security operatives.

Describing members of the cartel as national saboteurs, the NDLEA boss said that the Agency will not rest until everyone involved in the criminal act is brought to book. He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue to support the Agency.

“Drug barons have no respect for authority and human life. We must therefore be vigilant and resist their antics. When they weirdly evaded serving their jail terms after conviction, the Agency uncovered it.

They resorted to blackmail, they failed. Now, they have devised a new strategy of smuggling unsearched bags into aircrafts. We are poised to stop their next stratagem” Giade vowed. He added that we have a responsibility to protect the country from the hands of drug barons.

The gang made up of some staff of OTIS, a firm that maintains conveyor belt at the Lagos airport smuggles bags containing drugs at night. They will then check-in dummy bags during screening and use the tags of the dummy for the ones containing drugs. Two additional suspects were arrested on May 15, 2009.

They are Madu Sunday Emeka, 31, who claimed to be a trader and Okpo Richard, 28, a former staff of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company.