Bus Driver Nearly Lands in Jail After Accepting ‘Energy Drink’ Parcel
NDLEA says driver was briefly detained after drugs were discovered inside bottle meant for delivery to Ondo
A commercial bus driver in Lagos narrowly avoided possible prosecution after accepting what appeared to be a bottle of energy drink as a waybill package, only for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to discover illicit drugs concealed inside it.
The driver had reportedly accepted the parcel for delivery from Lagos to Ondo State without knowing what it contained.
According to the NDLEA, the discovery led to the driver spending some time in custody before operatives traced and arrested the person who allegedly handed him the package.
Drugs Hidden Inside Energy Drink Bottle
NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the bottle was used to conceal 61 grams of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, and 24 grams of methamphetamine.
The parcel had been handed to the commercial driver as a waybill package along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway for onward delivery.
The driver, according to the agency, believed he was transporting an ordinary bottle of Fearless energy drink.
However, after NDLEA operatives discovered the drugs, the driver was taken into custody while investigators worked to establish who had sent the package.
Sender Arrested
The NDLEA said its officers were able to trace the person who gave the parcel to the driver.
A follow-up operation at Ladipo Spare Parts Market in Lagos on September 30 led to the arrest of 23-year-old Ekundayo Taiwo.
The arrest followed the seizure of the Colorado and methamphetamine concealed inside the energy drink bottle the previous day.
The agency said the development helped establish that the driver had not necessarily been the person responsible for the drugs.
NDLEA Warns Drivers
Babafemi said the driver was fortunate that operatives were able to identify and arrest the person who gave him the parcel.
He warned that other commercial drivers and transport workers could face serious legal consequences if they accept packages without knowing their contents.
The NDLEA spokesman urged drivers and members of the public to verify parcels before agreeing to transport them, stressing that possession of illicit drugs can expose the person carrying them to criminal liability.
The agency’s warning comes as it continues nationwide operations against drug trafficking, including recent seizures of cannabis, methamphetamine, tramadol, codeine-based cough syrup and cocaine in different parts of the country.
