By IBIRONKE ARIYO

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered and dismantled a syndicate that sponsors pilgrims to serve as couriers to move cocaine to Saudi Arabia during pilgrimage.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi on Sunday in Abuja.

He stated that the recovery followed the arrest of leaders of the cartel in Kano.

Babafemi said that the arrest of the operatives effected the arrest of the kingpins on Tuesday and Wednesday in Kano.

This, he said was a follow-up to the arrest of two pilgrims at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, (MAKIA) Kano on May 26.

This, he added was during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline flight ET 940 to Jedda, Saudi Arabia.

?The interdiction of the intending pilgrims at the NDLEA final screening point at the Kano airport was based on credible intelligence.

?When they were taken for scanning, the result confirmed ingestion of illicit substances.

?They were subsequently placed on excretion observation during which they excreted 45 wraps of cocaine each, bringing the total for both to 90 pellets with a total weight of 1.04kg.

?Investigation soon unraveled their sponsors as leaders of a notorious drug trafficking network, which specialises in trafficking illicit drugs to Saudi Arabia.

?A swift follow-up operation was carried out, and they were arrested, ?he said.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Kano airport on Wednesday, intercepted a 60-year-old businessman during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1432 to Iran.

Babafemi said that his body scan confirmed he ingested illicit substances as a result of which he was placed on excretion observation during which he excreted 65 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.41kg.

In another operation in Kano, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Kano- Maiduguri road Friday, intercepted two men with 900,000 dollars cash suspected to be counterfeit.

Babafemi said that the suspects and the exhibit would be transferred to the appropriate agency for further investigation. (NAN)

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