NAHCo staff arrested for drug trafficking in Lagos airport

As at last count, at least six members of staff of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc; (NAHCoaviance) have been  apprehended  by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement  Agency (NDLEA)  over their involvements in a failed attempt to export  illegal drug out of the country on Monday.

The substance which reliable sources claimed tested positive to banned drug, was concealed in two bags which were intercepted by the NDLEA operatives in Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos on Monday.

African Business Travel News (ABTN) learnt  that  the arrested NAHCo staff  believed to be members of a cartel of drug carriers operating around the airport, were later picked up at different locations in Lagos State.

They were allegedly arrested for attempt by to smuggle in 26 kilogrammes of the narcotic aboard an Addis Ababa bound  Ethiopian Airline’s flight.

Reliable sources in the Lagos airport who spoke with our correspondent under the condition of anonymity, said a lady (name withheld)  working with the ground handling company was the first to be arrested by NDLEA operatives while she was attempting to smuggle the two suspicious luggage into the East African bound flight.

According to the source, the two bags became object of suspicion when they were put aside and not loaded onto the flight on Sunday after they had been checked-in.

This development however led operatives of NDLEA to keep surveillance on the two bags.

The bubble however burst on Monday at about 13:00 hrs when the lady staffer of NAHCo went to load the two pieces of luggage into the aircraft; leading to her arrest by waiting NDLEA operatives.

Further investigations, however revealed that the two pieces of  luggage which weighed 11 kilogrammes each, when they were checked-in on Sunday, had increased overnight  in weight to 25 kilogrammes each as at the time of the arrest.

The arrest, has however led to more arrests of staff of the ground handling company battling management crisis in the recent time.

Attempts to get comments from the ground handling company, however proved abortive as calls made to the spokesman of NAHCo is Mr. Tayo Ajakaye refused to pick his call. Also the sms sent to him via his telephone were not responded to.