The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted two passengers returning from Brazil with a total of 116 wraps of heroin and cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
The suspects, identified as Ofoma Sunday and Ukachukwu Frank Ikechukwu, were arrested upon arrival at the Lagos airport and placed under observatory custody after intelligence suggested they had ingested illicit substances.
According to NDLEA officials, the two men later excreted dozens of drug pellets over several days in custody. Laboratory tests confirmed the substances to be heroin and cocaine.
Crackdown on International Drug Syndicates
The agency revealed that the suspects had embarked on their journey from Brazil, one of the world’s major drug source countries, and were attempting to smuggle the narcotics into Nigeria by swallowing them.
“Both suspects have so far excreted a total of 116 wraps of heroin and cocaine combined,” NDLEA sources disclosed, adding that further investigations are ongoing to identify the syndicate and financiers behind the trafficking attempt.
Ongoing Drug War at Airports
The NDLEA has intensified its surveillance at major airports across Nigeria following repeated attempts by cartels to move drugs through the country. In recent months, the agency has recorded several busts involving cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and cannabis trafficked through MMIA.
Just last month, NDLEA operatives intercepted a passenger with cocaine concealed inside body lotion containers, while another suspect was caught with heroin hidden in food packs.
A Warning to Traffickers
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.), has consistently warned that the agency would not relent in its fight against drug syndicates, vowing that traffickers who use Nigerian airports as transit routes will be caught.
The latest arrest of the Brazil returnees, NDLEA says, is further proof of its commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks and protecting Nigeria from the social and economic dangers of narcotics.
The two suspects remain in custody as investigators trace their local and international connections.