Driver escapes drug prosecution after NDLEA finds cocaine, meth in drink bottle

A commercial bus driver in Lagos narrowly escaped prosecution after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) discovered cocaine and methamphetamine concealed in a bottle he was transporting to Ondo State.

The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the incident on Sunday, warning commercial drivers, dispatch riders and other parcel carriers against accepting packages without verifying their contents.

Babafemi said the driver was given a bottle of Fearless energy drink in Lagos as a waybill package to be delivered in Ondo State.

The driver reportedly believed the bottle contained an ordinary energy drink until NDLEA operatives discovered that it had allegedly been used to conceal cocaine and methamphetamine.

He was subsequently taken into custody and could have faced prosecution for possessing and transporting the illicit drugs.

However, Babafemi said the driver was spared after NDLEA operatives traced and arrested the person who handed him the package.

He said the incident should serve as a warning to people who accept parcels for delivery without knowing what they contain.

“Your own case may be devoid of such luck and you go in for it,” Babafemi warned.

He urged drivers, dispatch riders and other transporters to avoid accepting parcels whose contents they cannot verify.

“Please avoid taking parcels you don’t know its content because possession makes you culpable, that’s the law,” he said.

The NDLEA has repeatedly cautioned members of the public that ignorance of the contents of a package may not shield them from legal consequences for possessing or transporting illicit drugs.

In a related development, the agency recently arrested a 25-year-old businessman, Lovely Chukwulobelu, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, over alleged possession of 72 wraps of cocaine reportedly destined for Portugal.

According to the NDLEA, Chukwulobelu allegedly turned to drug trafficking to offset expenses incurred during his wedding.