Nigeria’s Arik Airline Staff Say They Smuggle Cocaine On Board Everytime
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ARIK Air staff have told Nigerian drug enforcement agents how they manage to smuggle cocaine abroad by hiding it in catering supplies in a bid to subvert international airport security checks.
Earlier this week, immigration officials at Britain’s Heathrow Airport in London arrested a member of Arik Air’s cabin crew while carrying 2.7kg of cocaine in a highly embarrassing development for Nigeria’s biggest carrier.
According to the Nigerian Drug and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the suspect is Chika Egwu Udensi, a steward with the airline. Following the incident, the NDLEA instituted an immediate probe involving the questioning of the airline’s staff.
During the course of the interrogations, Oliver Chibuzor, a catering loader with the airline, who has been arrested for aiding and abetting the latest crime, told NDLEA officials that they smuggle drugs onboard by concealing cocaine in catering supplies.
Mr Chibuzor said: “Whenever Chika gives me the drug, I will hide it in catering supplies. Chika knows where to collect the drug inside the flight. “They pay me N400,000 (£1,277) per bag.I was expecting N1.2m (£3,832) for the three bags that I smuggled into the aircraft.”
According to the NDLEA, preliminary investigation revealed that both Messrs Udensi and Chibuzor had been infiltrated by a suspected drug cartel.
Mr Chibuzor, who hails from Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of Abia State, is a graduate of business administration and was employed by Arik Air in 2009.
Ahmadu Giade, NDLEA’s chairman, said he had directed that henceforth, all airport workers must be extensively searched. He also said that all catering trucks, luggage trucks, aviation fuel tankers, machines and personnel whose duty directly or indirectly relates to tarmac and flight operations would be subjected to full screening.
Mr Giade added: “The agency has taken drastic measures to avert infiltration of airport workers by criminal syndicates.Airline officials and airport workers shall be subjected to comprehensive searches and the NDLEA will resist any act capable of undermining security at all entry and exit points.”
As part of its investigation, the NDLEA said its operatives had searched the rented apartment of Mr Udensi in Ejigbo, a Lagos suburb, where he lives with his mother and siblings.
Also, the NDLEA said that Mr Udensi’s Range Rover car, which had been impounded and was parked at the airline’s premises, had been moved to the agency’s office.
