Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 30-year-old Italy-based businessman, identified as Joseph Cyril, for allegedly ingesting 98 wraps of cocaine at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu.
The NDLEA said Cyril was arrested on Sunday, Aug. 2, during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET930, scheduled to travel through Addis Ababa and France to Italy.
The agency said the suspect was subsequently placed under excretion observation, during which he expelled 98 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.510 kilogrammes.
According to the NDLEA, preliminary investigations showed that Cyril arrived in Nigeria from Italy on July 13 and allegedly ingested the drug in a hotel in Awka, Anambra State, before travelling to Enugu to board his flight.
The agency said the suspect, in his statement, claimed that he had been doing business in Italy for several years before agreeing to traffic the consignment for €3,500.
He reportedly said he intended to use the money to support his relocation to Germany, where his family is based.
In a related development, the NDLEA said its operatives intercepted 25 pieces of phone chargers allegedly containing a class A drug and destined for Saudi Arabia at a courier company in Lagos.
The agency also said a separate attempt to send 500 grammes of cocaine concealed in the false bottom of a backpack to Italy was thwarted at another logistics company in Lagos on Monday, Aug. 3.
On Tuesday, Aug. 4, NDLEA officers also intercepted a consignment containing 2.3 kilogrammes of “Loud”, a potent strain of cannabis, allegedly shipped from the United States through another logistics company in Lagos.
The agency said investigations into the cases were ongoing.
