In a major victory against international drug trafficking, operatives of Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) seized a staggering 18.72 kilograms of cocaine, valued at over N4.4 billion, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
The discovery was made on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa, where the illicit drugs had been carefully concealed in the waste collectors of two lavatories.
Upon arrival, the NDLEA was alerted by the airline’s cleaning staff, leading to a swift response that recovered the drugs before they could reach Nigerian soil.
The cocaine, wrapped in polythene bags, was part of a complex smuggling operation linked to an international syndicate with ties between Brazil, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.
Investigations reveal that drug couriers ingested the cocaine to smuggle it from Brazil to Ethiopia, where it was excreted, repackaged, and prepared for further smuggling into Nigeria.
NDLEA has since detained and questioned 30 suspects as they work to dismantle this syndicate.
This bust underscores the critical role of international collaboration in counter-narcotics efforts, as well as the NDLEA’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria from the influx of harmful drugs.
