The suspect, Duru Gcinukwazi Lindiwe, 39, of Zulu tribe, was arrested last weekend during routine screening of passengers that were to board a Lagos-Jo’burg South Africa Airways flight. Upon interrogation, she told the anti-narcotic officials that she was a street cleaner in Johannesburg. The drug, according to the NDLEA, has an
estimated street value of N15 million.
NDLEA Airport Commander, Mr. Hamza Umar, said a detailed search on her based on suspicion yielded positive result. “She was travelling with a carton of sardines. When one of them was opened, the content was methamphetamine. Some of the drugs were also packed in a false bottom of her luggage. The drugs found in her possession weighed 5.5 kg,” Hamza said.
Lindiwe, who is married with a daughter, told narcotic investigators in her statement that her love for sardines had turned sour since her arrest. In her words, “I love sardine for salad and sandwich. My Nigerian boyfriend gave me the carton of sardine as a gift because I love sardine. When my bag was searched at the airport, 5.5kg of methamphetamine was found and I was arrested. I am missing my eight-year-old daughter because I travelled to the Philippines to study music for over a month. I am only in Nigeria to visit my boyfriend before going to South Africa.”
Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, said efforts are ongoing to apprehend more suspects in connection with the drug. According to Giade, “we have launched a full scale investigation and we expect to arrest other members of the drug cartel. Drug traffickers are warned to quit the criminal act or face severe sanctions under the NDLEA Act.” Meanwhile, Lindiwe would be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.
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