A 30-year-old businessman based in Italy has been arrested at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu after NDLEA operatives allegedly found he had ingested 98 wraps of cocaine for delivery to Europe.
The suspect was intercepted on Sunday, August 2, 2026, during the outward clearance of passengers boarding Ethiopian Airlines flight ET930. He was travelling through Addis Ababa and France to Italy when officers stopped him for further screening.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said the man was placed under excretion observation after the interception. He subsequently expelled 98 wraps of cocaine weighing a total of 1.510kg.
Investigators reportedly established that the suspect arrived in Nigeria from Italy on July 13 before travelling to Awka, Anambra State, where he allegedly ingested the drug at a hotel. He later proceeded to Enugu to catch his flight back to Europe.
The NDLEA said the suspect told investigators that he had agreed to transport the cocaine for €3,500. He reportedly said he accepted the deal because he wanted to raise money to relocate to Germany, where his family lives.
The Enugu seizure was part of a wider series of drug interceptions reported by the NDLEA across the country during the week. In Lagos, operatives intercepted 1.2kg of cocaine allegedly concealed inside 25 phone chargers bound for Saudi Arabia, while another 500g consignment hidden in a backpack was stopped at a logistics company.
Other operations uncovered large quantities of cannabis. In Ondo State, officers intercepted a truck carrying 1,633kg of skunk concealed in bags of rice shafts, while 604.5kg was recovered in Edo State. NDLEA officers also recovered 731.03kg of illicit drugs from a warehouse in Oyo State.
At the Tin Can Island Port Complex in Lagos, a joint operation involving the NDLEA, Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies led to the interception of 73 cartons containing cannabis-infused cookies and gummies weighing 309.4kg.
The NDLEA said its enforcement activities were accompanied by public drug-awareness campaigns under its War Against Drug Abuse initiative. Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa urged officers to maintain the agency’s combined approach of enforcement, prevention and public sensitisation.
