A South Africa-based evangelist on Friday confessed to operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after over 165kgs of narcotics drugs suspected to belong to him were seized at the Apapa Seaport, Lagos.

The 92kgs of methamphetamine and 73kgs of ephedrine were detected inside two containers of foodstuff meant for export to South Africa.

The arrest and seizure are a product on intense undercover operation by the NDLEA. The estimated street value of the drugs is N1.4 billion.

The drugs were hidden inside packs of melon concealed in foodstuff and cosmetics such as gari (cassava flakes), noodles, Knorr and Maggi food seasoning, yam powder, malt drinks, pepper, milk, herbal hair cream and Golden Morn cereals.

Other items in the container are Damatol hair cream, bags of melon, kegs of palm oil, beans, biscuits, sardine and cartons of Orijin Bitters.

During the examination of the containers marked MSKU 388274-1 and MSKU 424717-0, anti-narcotic officials detected 20kg of Methamphetamine and 50kg of Ephedrine inside the first container and 72Kg of Methamphetamine and 23Kg of Ephedrine in the second container.

The total weight of the drugs is 165kgs.

Chairman and Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd), said that the seizure had significant influence on the campaign against narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

He said: “This is a product of careful planning and meticulous tracking of narcotic drugs movement. The consignments were closely monitored by our undercover agents and intercepted at the Apapa Seaport, Lagos, following the detection of narcotics by NDLEA sniffer dogs during screening operation. This will definitely have a positive influence on Nigeria’s drug control efforts”.

The NDLEA boss added that the agency would remain meticulous in detecting drugs and prosecuting offenders.

“I am very happy with the success recorded in this operation. The agency will remain painstaking and professional in the fight against illicit drug production, trafficking and abuse. We hope to unmask the drug syndicate behind this shipment and make more arrests soon,” Abdallah promised.

Officers successfully traced the illicit consignment to a 52-year-old man who claimed to be an evangelist by name John Vincent Arinze who was arrested in his hotel room in Lagos. A Mercedes Benz Jeep belonging to him was also impounded at the time of the arrest.

The suspect hails from Ara village, Nise in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State. John who had lived in South Africa for over a decade accepted ownership of the illicit shipment.

The suspect, in his statement, said he made a big mistake by taking over the business of his late wife.

“I am an evangelist living in Durban, South Africa. My late wife was into drug trafficking before she died few years ago. I made a mistake venturing into her business. It is all my fault,” he stated.

He will soon be charged to court.

•Adapted from The Nation report. Photo shows the suspected drug-trafficking evangelist, John Vincent Arinze.

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