By Ifeanyi Okolie & Paul Itulu

For 43-year-old Bartholomew Chimezie, the little help he claimed he rendered to a friend, an Indian, in delivering a set of cooking pots to his sister in Nigeria, has landed him in trouble, when over 4.1 kilogram of heroin was found in it.

Officials of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), who apprehended the suspect at the point of arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos, are upbeat that the suspect is a member of a notorious drug cartel who specialized in smuggling illicit drugs into the country from India.

The drug which was intelligently hidden inside the cooking pots was discovered at the arrival hall of the airport during routine search. It was imported by a suspected member of a drug cartel who was caught during the screening of passengers on Qatar Airline flight from Dubai.

Nwokocha Bartholomew

Sources at the agency told Crime Guard that Chimezie who brought in the drugs from India en-route Dubai met his waterloo when anti-narcotics officials discovered them in the cooking pots.

Two other persons were arrested subsequently and they were identified as 30-year-ld Chidozie Alawoba , who was to receive Chimezie at the airport with the drugs and then hand them over to Akeem Iyanda(46), who is believed to be the point man of the drug cell in Nigeria.

A source close to the case, told Crime Guard that a crack team of NDLEA operatives quickly swooped on Chidozie, who was waiting at the airport at that time and they went after Akeem who resides on Lagos Island; “ After were caught Chimezie with the drugs, we knew other people were involved. We asked him how he got the drugs, he told us and we asked who was his contact in Nigeria.

He showed us a phone number and we then asked him to call the person that he has arrived and was headed out of the airport. His contact showed up and we apprehended him. Later on, the suspects were place on interrogation and they told us who their point man was in the country.

4.1kg of heroin found in the pots

Chimezie said he is an auto parts dealer in Onitsha, Anambra State. He traveled to India on October 26, 2011 and left the country with the drugs to Dubai on November 11, 2011.

He was however arrested on his way from Dubai to Nigeria. In his words, “I went to India for an eye surgery. In the process, I met a friend who gave me the cooking pots. He told me that it was a gift for his sister in Nigeria that just put to birth”. Chimezie is married with three children and the wife is currently pregnant. He hails from Aro-Ndizuogu in Imo

Chidozie Alawuba

State.

Chidozie Alawoba, a deportee from Libya in 2009 who was asked to receive Bartholomew at the airport was later arrested. According to him, “while I was in Libya in 2007, one of my friends who lives in India called me on phone that I should assist him.

He asked me to receive the luggage from Chimezie and give it to one Iyanda . I do not know both men. I was only executing my briefs.” Chidozie is single, lives in Lagos and hails from Orlu in Imo State.

Further investigation led to the arrest of Iyanda who is believed to be the final recipient of the drug. He told investigators that his friend in Bombay called him that he had sent a luggage to him. “My friend in India called me that he had sent a luggage to me. I met the man in 2008 when I travelled to India”. Akeem who lives in Lagos Island with his wife and child is a native of Ibadan, Oyo State.

Chairman of the Agency, Ahmadu Giade described the operation leading to the arrests of the suspects as very satisfactory. “This is a product of careful management of operational intelligence. This is very satisfactory and inspiring. The man that brought the drugs from India was arrested together with two other members of the cell in the country. Our target of arresting all persons connected to drug crime and bring them to book was achieved. More arrests are in the offing” Giade promised.

The suspects have made useful confessions to investigators. They were found to have had physical contacts with members of the syndicate in India. However, investigation into the case is already at advanced stage.