Italy-Based Businessman Excretes 98 Wraps of Cocaine at Enugu Airport

Italy-Based Businessman Excretes 98 Wraps of Cocaine at Enugu Airport

In a major breakthrough, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 30-year-old Italy-based businessman at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, after he excreted 98 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.510 kilograms while attempting to board a flight to Europe. The suspect, Joseph Cyril, was nabbed on August 2, 2026, at the departure hall of the Enugu airport during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET930, which was en route to Italy via Addis Ababa and France. According to a statement by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, Cyril was immediately placed under excretion observation, during which he expelled all 98 pellets of the banned substance. The total weight of the recovered cocaine was put at 1.510 kilograms. Investigations revealed that Cyril had arrived in Nigeria from Italy on July 13, 2026, and ingested the drug at a hotel in Awka, Anambra State, before proceeding to Enugu to catch his return flight to Europe on August 2.

In his confessional statement, the suspect disclosed that he had been running a legitimate business in Italy for several years before agreeing to traffic the cocaine consignment. He claimed he accepted the task in exchange for €3,500 (about ₦5.8 million) to help him raise funds to relocate to Germany, where his immediate family is based. The NDLEA noted that the arrest is part of the agency’s intensified efforts to curb drug trafficking through Nigerian airports and land borders.

Beyond the Enugu operation, the NDLEA recorded several other significant seizures across the country within the same period, demonstrating the widespread nature of the agency’s crackdown. In Lagos, operatives thwarted attempts by trafficking syndicates to export 1.2 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside 25 pieces of phone chargers destined for Saudi Arabia through a courier company. In a similar operation, officers intercepted 500 grams of cocaine hidden in the false bottom of a backpack that was being shipped to Italy via another logistics firm on August 3, 2026. Also in Lagos, a consignment containing 2.3 kilograms of Loud — a potent synthetic strain of cannabis — originating from the United States, was seized at a shipping company on August 4, 2026.

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At the Tincan Port complex, a joint examination involving NDLEA officers, Customs officials, and other security agencies uncovered 73 cartons containing 442 packets of cookies and gummies infused with cannabis. The total weight of the seized edibles was 309.4 kilograms, and a suspect, Larry Nnaji, has been arrested in connection with the shipment. Following this discovery, the NDLEA issued a public health alert, warning parents and guardians to monitor what children consume, as traffickers increasingly disguise illicit substances as ordinary snacks.

In Ondo State, on August 4, NDLEA patrol teams along the Akure-Ilesha expressway intercepted a truck heading to northern Nigeria with 1,633 kilograms of skunk (a strong strain of cannabis) cleverly concealed in bags of rice chaff. Two suspects — Buba Jamilu and Sanusi Ibrahim — were arrested in connection with that seizure. Additionally, a raid at Ita Ogbolu forest on August 3 led to the recovery of 147 kilograms of skunk, further crippling trafficking networks in the region.

In Oyo State, acting on credible intelligence, operatives raided a drug warehouse in Elebure village, Orire Local Government Area, on August 3, recovering 731.03 kilograms of cannabis. One suspect, Felicia Thompson, was arrested, while her accomplice, Thompson Vincent Nwaka, remains at large as authorities continue their manhunt. Meanwhile, in Edo State on August 5, NDLEA operatives supported by soldiers raided a storage facility at Ewe Luleha in Owan West Local Government Area, recovering 65 jumbo bags of skunk weighing a total of 604.5 kilograms.

In Abia State, operatives arrested Chibuike Charles, 31, a drug joint operator, during a raid at his base in Osisioma Local Government Area on August 6, seizing about 7 kilograms of skunk from his premises. In Lagos, a notorious and wanted drug dealer, Adome Claude Sikuru, was arrested on August 8 at the Fibre Market drug jungle in Badagry after a three-month manhunt. Officers recovered 88.5 kilograms of skunk from him, marking a significant victory in the agency’s efforts to dismantle drug hideouts in the city.

Commending the officers and men of the DOGI, AIIA, Ondo, Oyo, Edo, Abia, Seme, and Tincan Commands, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd) , praised their professionalism and dedication. He urged all personnel to sustain the balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement, public education, and rehabilitation, while vowing to intensify the fight against illicit drug trafficking across Nigeria.

Italy-Based Businessman Excretes 98 Wraps of Cocaine at Enugu Airport