The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), on Wednesday, revealed the arrest of two individuals who attempted to smuggle cocaine while posing as pilgrims en route to Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Drug Control meeting in Abuja, Marwa disclosed that the suspects had ingested the illicit drug, pretending to be devout Muslims embarking on the holy pilgrimage.

?Just a few days ago, we arrested two would-be pilgrims going to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj. They swallowed cocaine, pretending to be going to the country to pray,? he said.

The NDLEA boss expressed concern over the disturbing trend of criminal networks exploiting religious sentiments, especially during Hajj, to traffic drugs internationally.

?We have had incidents where people were deceived in the name of Hajj.

Two years ago, three women were duped. Some individuals offered to pay for their tickets, and visas among others. Before they left, they were given a small bag to deliver to a supposed relative in Saudi Arabia. Unknown to them, cocaine had been sewn into the lining of the bag,? he recounted.

Marwa noted that despite funding challenges affecting the full implementation of the National Drug Control Master Plan (2021?2025), the agency remained steadfast in its mission.

?Instead, we stay resolute, drawing strength from our shared vision, commitment, and collective responsibility to overcome this limitation. Encouragingly, certain developments promise to bolster the achievement of our objectives. One such step is the amendment of the NDLEA Act, which is expected to significantly strengthen the agency?s institutional capacity in drug supply reduction. I am pleased to inform this esteemed assembly that the amended Act has been passed by the National Assembly and is currently awaiting presidential assent,? he stated.

Reviewing major programmes implemented across the strategic pillars of the NDCMP in 2023 and 2024, Marwa said the agency made commendable progress on the Fourth National Action Plan, in comparison with previous iterations.

?Under the Supply Reduction pillar, our operational efforts and strategic offensives led to the arrest of 31,334 drug offenders, of whom 6,839 were convicted.

?We also recorded the seizure of 4,333,636.9 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs and undertook the destruction of 426.46724 hectares of cannabis farms.

Under the Drug Demand Reduction strategic pillar, we provided counselling and rehabilitation services to 19,033 individuals,? he added.

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who was represented by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, expressed hope that the recent amendment of the NDLEA Act by the National Assembly would bolster Nigeria?s drug control efforts once signed by President Bola Tinubu.

He said, ?The Federal Ministry of Justice has worked together with the NDLEA to ensure that our national legal system effectively supports the drug control efforts of the Agency. We are at the final stage of the amendment process for the NDLEA Act, which will significantly enhance the organizational capability of the Agency to combat substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria. The ministry is also providing appropriate support in the area of proceeds of crime management, which is essential for dismantling the financial networks of drug traffickers. (The PUNCH)

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