Sunday, March 20, 2011
Peddling drugs, the family way

TOYOSI OGUNSEYE


Generally, crime is dynamic in nature and drug trafficking is not an exception. It was once a rarity to see couples involved in this illicit trade. TOYOSI OGUNSEYE however writes that the reverse is the case, as drug trafficking is now being taken as a family business. This has compelled the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to beam its searchlight on couples that are travelling out of the country


[img]http://odili.net/news/source/2011/mar/20/punch/images/pix201103201273968[1].jpg[/img]
Family of four caught with drugs at MMIA



On December 31, 2010, Owolabi Amoo and his wife Eniola were arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos,for testing positive for drug ingestion. Amoo, 60, who is a printer and Eniola, 57, a trader, were arrested at the boarding gate during routine checks on Delta Airline passengers to the United States.

The suspects who reportedly ingested a combined 160 wraps of heroin weighing 2.28kg, completed the excretion

of the drugs five days after their arrest.

Each of them had swallowed 80 wraps of drugs that weighed 1.14kg. After their arrest, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Airport Commander, Alhaji Hamza Umar, said that preliminary investigation showed that the couple specialised in narcotic smuggling.

The Amoos are not the only ones that have tried to smuggle drugs under the ruse of family trip. Umar said that for couples like the Amoos, the assumption was that it would be easy to smuggle drugs when they travel as husband and wife because, then, there is this impression that both are responsible folks who are not likely to be involved in drug trafficking.

The couple was given an initial payment of $2,000 each, and was hopeful of additional $8,000 if they had succeeded in delivering the drugs in New York, their final destination.

Amoo, who is from Offa in Kwara State, attended First Baptist Church Primary School, Ilorin, and graduated in 1974. He also had his secondary education in Iree, Osun State.

In his statement, Amoo said that though he had a printing press, Joabsin Printing Press, he was still having financial problems and that was why he considered the option of drug trafficking.

He said, "I am a printer. A young man I met in a café introduced me to the drug deal in 2009. I have two wives. My second wife who was arrested with me is my business partner because we both deal in drugs. I voluntarily agreed to smuggle drugs because of my financial problems. I need money for my children's school fees, rent and feeding. I started peddling drugs in 2009.

"I feel sad and regret my involvement in drug trafficking. The excitement of $10,000 per trip was irresistible. I was optimistic that travelling as husband and wife would not attract attention of security operatives."

http://odili.net/news/source/2011/mar/20/859.html

Goddamitt!!! . . . . . . .$10,000 for 1.14kg . . . .What a waste of life!!!

I just pity the children