The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 30-year-old Italy-based businessman, Joseph Cyril, for allegedly ingesting 98 wraps of cocaine at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
Cyril was arrested on Sunday, August 2, 2026, during the outward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Italy via Addis Ababa and France. He was subsequently placed under excretion observation and expelled 98 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.510 kilogrammes.
According to the NDLEA, investigations showed that Cyril arrived in Nigeria from Italy on July 13 and allegedly ingested the drugs at a hotel in Awka, Anambra State, before travelling to Enugu for his flight.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that he agreed to traffic the consignment for €3,500 to raise funds to relocate to Germany, where his family resides.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives also intercepted 1.2kg of cocaine concealed in 25 phone chargers destined for Saudi Arabia and stopped another attempt to export 500 grammes of cocaine hidden in a backpack to Italy.
The agency further intercepted 2.3kg of Loud, a synthetic cannabis strain, imported from the United States.
Other operations across the country led to the seizure of 1,633kg of skunk from a truck along the Akure-Ilesha Expressway, 731.03kg from a drug warehouse in Oyo State, and 604.5kg in Edo State.
At the Tincan Port in Lagos, NDLEA officers and other security agencies also recovered 309.4kg of cannabis-infused cookies and gummies from a 40-foot container.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved and urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.
