Virgin Nigeria Jet in Lagos Drug bust
Virgin jet is stormed in drugs bust
Last updated at 14:05pm on 9th August 2007
Drug trip: A Virgin Airbus 340 was stopped from taking off in Lagos, Nigeria
A London-bound Virgin flight was dramatically stopped from taking off in Nigeria as police swooped on a drug-smuggling member of the cabin crew.
Police boarded the flight which was about to leave the capital, Lagos.
They sealed the plane, with its 318 passengers still inside, and arrested the male crew member who was allegedly trying to smuggle just under two kilograms of cocaine - with a street value of about £87,000.
The Airbus340 had already started its engines and was preparing to depart when officers of the country's National Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) stopped the man, named in Nigeria as Mohammed Ibrahim Wudil, 34, as he was about to board.
He has apparently been working with Virgin Atlantic for five years.
Investigators reportedly found 1.753kgs of cocaine concealed in a plastic bag inside hand luggage.
Officials claimed the suspect had collected the parcel for a significant fee from a Londonbased Nigerian and allege he has smuggled quantities of the drug a number of times.
The aircraft was impounded and held for the day for investigations and the flight, due to take off at 10.35am yesterday, was rescheduled to leave today.
The director general of the NDLEA, Otunba Lanre Ipinmisho, said: "The trend is becoming disturbing and the agency is determined to reverse it."