A 30-year-old Italy-based businessman, Joseph Cyril, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, after allegedly ingesting 98 wraps of cocaine.
The suspect was arrested on Sunday, August 2, 2026, during the outward clearance of passengers boarding Ethiopian Airlines flight ET930 to Italy through Addis Ababa and France.
According to a statement issued by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Sunday, Cyril was subsequently placed under excretion observation and expelled 98 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.510 kilogrammes.
Preliminary investigations showed that the suspect arrived in Nigeria from Italy on July 13 and allegedly ingested the drug at a hotel in Awka, Anambra State, before travelling to Enugu to catch his flight back to Europe.
In his statement, Cyril reportedly told investigators that he had been doing business in Italy for several years before agreeing to traffic the cocaine for €3,500.
He allegedly said he intended to use the payment to raise funds to relocate to Germany, where his family is based.
Cocaine Hidden in Phone Chargers, Backpack Intercepted
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives in Lagos foiled an attempt to export 1.2kg of cocaine to Saudi Arabia.
The illicit drug was allegedly concealed inside 25 pieces of phone chargers and intercepted at a courier company.
READ ALSO; NDLEA intercepts cocaine hidden in mortar, backpack bound for China, Italy
The agency also stopped another attempt to ship 500 grammes of cocaine to Italy after officers discovered the substance concealed in the false bottom of a backpack at another logistics company on Monday, August 3.
A separate consignment containing 2.3kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, reportedly imported from the United States, was intercepted at another shipping company in Lagos on Tuesday, August 4.
1.6 Tonnes of Cannabis Seized in Ondo
In Ondo State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Akure-Ilesha Expressway intercepted a truck allegedly transporting 1,633kg of skunk concealed in bags of rice shafts.
Two suspects, Buba Jamilu, 40, and Sanusi Ibrahim, 30, were arrested in connection with the consignment.
The agency also said its operatives recovered 147kg of skunk during a raid on Ita Ogbolu forest on Monday, August 3.
In Oyo State, operatives acting on intelligence raided a suspected drug warehouse in Elebure village, Orire Local Government Area, on August 3.
The operation led to the recovery of 731.03kg of cannabis and the arrest of a 57-year-old suspect, Felicia Thompson. Her alleged partner, Thompson Vincent Nwaka, reportedly remains at large.
Operations Spread Across Several States
In Edo State, NDLEA operatives, supported by soldiers, recovered 65 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 604.5kg during an operation at Ewe Luleha in Owan West Local Government Area on Wednesday, August 5.
In Abia State, a suspected drug joint operator, 31-year-old Chibuike Charles, was arrested during a raid at Samec by Powerline Base in Osisioma Local Government Area on Thursday, August 6. Officers recovered 7kg of skunk from the operation.
In Lagos, a wanted drug dealer, Adome Claude Sikuru, was arrested at the Fibre Market drug jungle in Badagry on Saturday, August 8, following a three-month manhunt.
READ ALSO; NDLEA busts N10bn drug syndicates, arrests alleged kingpins in nationwide operations
NDLEA said 88.5kg of skunk was recovered from Sikuru at the time of his arrest.
309kg Cannabis-Infused Edibles Found at TinCan Port
At the TinCan Island Port Complex in Lagos, NDLEA officers, working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, discovered a large consignment of cannabis-infused edibles during the examination of a 40-foot container on Tuesday, August 4.
The consignment comprised 73 cartons containing 442 packets of cookies and gummies infused with cannabis, with a combined weight of 309.4kg.
A suspect, identified as Larry Nnaji, has been arrested in connection with the seizure.
The latest operations underscore the variety of methods allegedly being employed by drug trafficking networks, ranging from ingestion and concealment in consumer goods to the use of logistics companies, commercial vehicles and shipping containers.
NDLEA Intensifies Drug Abuse Campaign
Beyond seizures and arrests, the agency said its commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns during the week.
The campaigns included enlightenment lectures for students and staff of Islamic High School, Saki, Oyo State; Holy Ghost Academy, Nkpor, Anambra State; and Madarasatul Hidayatul Aulad Islamiyya, Gaya, Kano State.
The Rivers State Command also paid a WADA advocacy visit to the management of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in Port Harcourt.
Commenting on the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended personnel of the agency’s DOGI, Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Ondo, Oyo, Edo, Abia, Seme and TinCan commands.
Marwa urged officers and their colleagues across the country to sustain what he described as a balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement operations with prevention, public awareness and community engagement.