N4BN COCAINE SAGA: NDLEA ARRAIGNS TAIWANESE, OTHERS
A TaiwanesE and two other accused persons allegedly involved in the importation of N4bn worth of cocaine two weeks ago will be arraigned on Monday (tomorrow) by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The hard drug weighing 450.4kg was intercepted at Tin Can Island Port in Lagos by the anti-narcotic body.
According to the NDLEA, the accused, Fong Chui Sen (Taiwanese), Wang Richard, (Chinese) and a Nigerian, Inua Mohammed are to appear before Justice O.E Abang on Monday at court 12, Federal High Court annex Ikoyi, Lagos. They will be arraigned on a four count charge relating to unlawful importation and conspiracy.
Commenting on the development, the Chairman of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade expressed high hopes that the accused persons will be given punishment commensurate with their alleged crime. He stated that the agency has conducted excellent investigation on the matter, adding 'We have a watertight case. Diligent prosecution by our legal team shall be the icing on the cake'.
While promising to expose more drug barons, Giade pointed out that one of the accused has been confirmed to be a Taiwanese. In his words, '…like the arrest of these accused persons, Nigerians should expect more from us in line with my operational promise to expose drug barons, as no one dealing in hard drugs will go unpunished'.
Giade also stated that hard drug business though covertly done have serious consequences on the society. 'Illicit drug transactions affect the public in so many ways. Apart from increasing insecurity, drugs lead to money laundering and could adversely undermine legitimate businesses. We must unite in fighting against drug trafficking and abuse. The love for money is attracting more people into the criminal act, but one sure way of tackling the problem is to increase the penal sanctions', Giade urged.
Count 1 states that, Fong Chui Sen and Wang Richard, male adults, between the months of March and July 2010 at Ibadan and Kano, Nigeria, without lawful authority conspired to import 450.4 kg of cocaine into Nigeria from Republic of Chile and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14 (b) of the NDLEA Act, CAP N30 Laws of the Federation 2004.