The plans of two grandmothers to unlawfully export narcotic drugs to New York, United States and Medina, Saudi Arabia, have been foiled by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The suspects Adebayo Ebunoluwa Mercy, 60, and Amodu Ayisat Grace, 59, both ingested wraps of substances that tested positive for heroin and cocaine during outward screening of passengers at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.
The grandmothers blamed their involvement in drug trafficking on financial hardship.
NDLEA preliminary investigation revealed that this is the first time a grandmother of 60 years will ingest a whopping eighty-three wraps of narcotics.
In addition, the second suspect was going to Saudi Arabia where drug trafficking attracts capital punishment.
Her timely arrest at the Lagos airport by the Nigerian anti-narcotics officers saved her from the ordeals of painful and ignoble death in a foreign country.
NDLEA commander at the Lagos airport, Ahmadu Garba said Adebayo Ebunoluwa Mercy, 60, was found to have ingested eighty-three wraps of heroin weighing 1.105kg on her way to the United States and Amodu Ayisat Grace, 59, ingested twenty-five (25) wraps of cocaine weighing 275 grammes on her way to Saudi Arabia.
According to Ahmadu, “Adebayo Ebunoluwa Mercy was arrested while boarding a Virgin Atlantic flight to New York while Amodu Ayisat Grace was caught trying to board an Ethiopian airline flight on her way to Medina, Saudi Arabia.
The cases are under investigation”.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd.) said that it is shocking and shameful for grandmothers to be involved in drug trafficking.
“This move by drug cartels to recruit grandmothers as mules is very disturbing, shocking and shameful.
