The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recently intercepted cocaine worth over N4 billion at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. NDLEA operatives seized 845 wraps of cocaine, weighing 18.72 kg, which were allegedly smuggled by an international drug syndicate operating between Brazil, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.
The contraband, valued at N4.49 billion, was hidden in the waste compartments of two rear lavatories on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa to Lagos on October 29, 2024. The NDLEA, alerted to the suspicious packages, retrieved the drugs, wrapped in nine polythene bags. Around 30 suspects have been interrogated in connection with the case.
Reports indicate that couriers transported the drugs from Brazil to Ethiopia through ingestion and later excreted them in Addis Ababa, where they were collected by other traffickers. These traffickers attempted to smuggle the drugs into Nigeria but were foiled with help from the airline and other airport partners.In related news, NDLEA also intercepted other illicit drugs, including 2.928 kg of cocaine, cannabis, and tramadol 225 mg, concealed in body cream containers and art pieces intended for export to Australia, UAE, and the UK via courier companies in Lagos.
At Lagos’s Apapa seaport, NDLEA officers seized 754,000 tablets of tapentadol and acetaminophen 225 mg, valued at N525 million, from an incoming container from India. In the Federal Capital Territory, a 24-year-old man was caught with 147,000 tramadol pills, while another was apprehended with 512 grams of methamphetamine.
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Further arrests included suspects in Kogi, Katsina, Adamawa, Taraba, Ondo, Kaduna, and Edo, with large amounts of drugs and fake currency discovered in vehicles, hotels, and rural areas. The NDLEA also advanced its anti-drug campaign through educational outreach under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) program, providing lectures at schools, workplaces, and community centers nationwide.NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa commended officers for their efforts in both enforcement and education, acknowledging their dedication to combatting drug abuse and trafficking across Nigeria.
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