The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully broken up a cocaine trafficking cartel that used Muslim pilgrims traveling for Hajj as drug couriers to Saudi Arabia.
On May 26, two pilgrims, Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado, were intercepted at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while preparing to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah. Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA officers subjected the men to body scans that revealed they had ingested illicit substances. Under observation, each excreted 45 wraps of cocaine, totaling 90 pellets weighing 1.04 kilograms.
Following this breakthrough, a swift investigation led to the arrest of three syndicate leaders, Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba, in Kano on May 27 and 28. The cartel had been disguising its drug trafficking operations under the guise of sponsoring pilgrims for the holy journey.
In a related operation at the same airport, NDLEA agents apprehended a 60-year-old businessman, Chinedu Leonard Okigbo, who was found with 65 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.41 kilograms while attempting to travel to Iran.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi praised the operatives for their vigilance and swift action, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks exploiting international pilgrimage routes. The agency also continues to seize large quantities of illicit drugs and counterfeit cash in coordinated operations across Nigeria.
This operation marks a significant victory in the fight against drug trafficking, particularly in curbing the abuse of religious travel for criminal activities.
