National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its crackdown on international narcotics networks with a series of high-profile arrests and seizures at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and across several states.
In a statement issued on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi disclosed that operatives intercepted two Brazil returnees who ingested a total of 116 wraps of heroin and cocaine.
One of the suspects, 46-year-old Ofoma Sunday, was arrested on September 16 after arriving from Brazil via Ethiopia. A body scan confirmed drug ingestion, and he later excreted 111 wraps of heroin weighing 1.452 kilograms. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of 55-year-old Nweke Jude Chuckwudi at a hotel in Amuwo Odofin, where he was designated to receive the consignment.
Similarly, on September 19, 40-year-old Ukachukwu Frank Ikechukwu was arrested during inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines passengers from Brazil. He excreted five large wraps of cocaine weighing 145 grams, admitting he had ingested nine wraps but lost some mid-flight due to severe anal pain.
The Agency also thwarted other smuggling attempts during the week. A businesswoman, Okolonkwo Ebere Theresa, was caught attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Doha with 1.40 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in her underwear. At the NAHCO export shed, Umelo Ifeanyi Venatus was arrested for hiding 2.3 kilograms of methamphetamine in food items bound for Hong Kong.
NDLEA officers further uncovered 257 grams of cocaine concealed in phone chargers headed to New Zealand, intercepted 233,800 tramadol pills in Adamawa, and seized 1,099.4 kilograms of cannabis in Zamfara. In Edo State, operatives destroyed more than four hectares of cannabis farms.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), praised the successful operations, noting that the Agency remains committed to dismantling criminal drug cartels and protecting communities.
These arrests and seizures represent a significant milestone in our determined effort to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and protect our youth from the dangers of illicit substances,” Marwa said.
He emphasized that the Agency would continue to pursue a balanced approach, combining law enforcement with sensitization campaigns to reduce both trafficking and abuse.
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