Suspect allegedly expelled 1.51kg of cocaine at Enugu airport as agency intercepts large drug consignments across Nigeria.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 30-year-old Italy-based businessman for allegedly ingesting 98 wraps of cocaine in Anambra State in an attempt to smuggle the drugs to Italy.
The suspect was arrested on Sunday, August 2, 2026, during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET930 at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
According to the NDLEA, the suspect was travelling to Italy through Addis Ababa and France when operatives intercepted him and placed him under excretion observation. He subsequently expelled 98 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.510 kilogrammes.
The agency said investigations revealed that the suspect arrived in Nigeria from Italy on July 13 and later ingested the drugs at a hotel in Awka, Anambra State, before travelling to Enugu to board his flight back to Europe.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that he agreed to traffic the cocaine for €3,500, saying he intended to use the money to relocate to Germany, where his family is based.
The NDLEA also reported several other drug seizures and arrests across the country.
In Lagos, operatives intercepted 1.2kg of cocaine concealed in 25 phone chargers destined for Saudi Arabia, while another 500g concealed in the false bottom of a backpack and bound for Italy was recovered at a logistics company.
The agency also seized 2.3kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, allegedly imported from the United States.
In Ondo State, officers intercepted a truck carrying 1,633kg of skunk concealed in bags of rice shafts along the Akure-Ilesha Expressway. Two suspects were arrested, while another 147kg of skunk was recovered from Ita Ogbolu Forest during a separate raid.
In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives raided a drug warehouse in Elebure village, Orire Local Government Area, recovering 731.03kg of illicit drugs and arresting a 57-year-old suspect. The agency said the suspect’s alleged partner remains at large.
Other operations were carried out in Edo, Abia and Lagos, where additional consignments of skunk and cannabis-infused cookies and gummies were recovered.
At the Tin Can Island Port Complex in Lagos, NDLEA officers, working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, intercepted 73 cartons containing 442 packets of cannabis-infused cookies and gummies weighing 309.4kg.
The agency said it also arrested a wanted drug dealer at the Fibre Market drug jungle in Badagry after a three-month manhunt, recovering 88.5kg of skunk from him.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA said its commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools and institutions across the country.
Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), urged personnel to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.