A 34-year-old South American man from Suriname, Dadda Lorenzo Harvy Albert, has been convicted and sentenced to 13 years in prison by the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. He was arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Port Harcourt International Airport for attempting to bring 117 parcels of cocaine into Nigeria.
The suspect, who claimed to be searching for his long-lost Nigerian father, was arrested after arriving on a Qatar Airways flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil. The cocaine was concealed in extra-large latex condoms factory packed inside bottles of 100ml body spray.
Albert pleaded guilty to the charges of importation and unlawful possession of 9.9kgs of cocaine and was sentenced without an option of fine by Justice E.A. Obile. The court also ordered the forfeiture of $90 United States Dollars and R$10 Brazilian Real recovered from the convict at the time of his arrest to the Federal Government.
The successful prosecution of Lorenzo is one of the 1,445 drug cases concluded at the Federal High Court across Nigeria between January and June 2023 by the NDLEA’s Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services. There are currently 11,166 other drug suspects still facing trial in court.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and men of the prosecution department for their diligent work. He emphasized the importance of conviction and sentencing without an option of fine as a strong deterrent to offenders and potential criminals.
