NDLEA arrests Italy-based businessman for ingesting 98 wraps of cocaine

Operatives of Nigeria's National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 30-year-old Italy-based businessman, Joseph Cyril, for allegedly ingesting 98 wraps of cocaine. The suspect was apprehended at the departure hall of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu on Sunday, August 2, 2026, during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET930.

According to a statement by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Cyril was placed on excretion observation, during which he expelled 98 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.510 kilograms. Investigations revealed that Cyril had arrived in Nigeria from Italy on July 13, 2026, and ingested the drugs in a hotel in Awka, Anambra State, before proceeding to Enugu to board his flight. He admitted to agreeing to traffic the drugs for a fee of 3,500 Euros to raise money for his relocation to Germany, where his family resides.

In separate operations, NDLEA operatives in Lagos thwarted attempts by drug trafficking syndicates to export 1.2 kilograms of cocaine concealed in 25 phone chargers destined for Saudi Arabia. Another attempt to export 500 grams of cocaine, hidden in the false bottom of a backpack, to Italy was also intercepted at a logistics company. Additionally, the agency intercepted a consignment of 2.3 kilograms of "Loud," a synthetic strain of cannabis, originating from the United States in Lagos.

Further interdictions included a truck intercepted on the Akure-Ilesha Expressway carrying 1,633 kilograms of skunk concealed in bags of rice chaff, heading north. These operations highlight the NDLEA's ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking into and out of Nigeria.