The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, operatives arrested Mr. Joseph Cyril, a 30-year-old Italy-based businessman, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, AIIA, Enugu, for ingesting 98 wraps of cocaine while heading to Italy via Addis Ababa and France.
A press statement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, on Sunday, 9th August 2026, revealed that the suspect was arrested at the departure hall a week ago.
“The suspect was nabbed at the departure hall of the airport on Sunday, 2nd August 2026, during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET930, and was subsequently placed under excretion observation during which he excreted 98 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.510 kilograms.”
” Investigations revealed that Cyril arrived in Nigeria from Italy on 13th July 2026 and ingested the drug in a hotel in Awka, Anambra State, before proceeding to Enugu to board his flight to Europe on Sunday, 2nd August.”
“In his statement, he claimed he has been doing business in Italy for years before agreeing to traffic the drug consignment for a fee of 3,500 Euros in order to raise money to relocate to Germany, where his family is based.”
The statement further revealed other attempts to export drugs botched by NDLEA operatives in Lagos;
“Attempts by some drug trafficking syndicates to export 1.2 kilograms of cocaine concealed in 25 pieces of phone chargers going to Saudi Arabia were thwarted by NDLEA operatives at a courier firm in Lagos.”
“A similar bid to send 500 grams of the same class A drug hidden in the false bottom of a backpack to Italy was equally aborted in another logistics company by NDLEA officers on Monday, 3rd August, while a consignment of 2.3kg Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, coming from the United States was intercepted in another shipping company in Lagos on Tuesday, 4th August.”
“Meanwhile, a drug joint operator, Chibuike Charles, 31, was arrested during a raid at his Samec by powerline base in Osisioma LGA, Abia state, where 7kg of skunk was seized on Thursday, 6th August.”
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) commending officers of the Agency for successfully nabbing the drug traffickers, enjoined them to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts engaged by the Agency.
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