Joseph Cyril allegedly ingested 1.51kg of cocaine before attempting to fly from Enugu to Italy, as NDLEA intercepts major drug consignments nationwide
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested Joseph Cyril, a 30-year-old Italy-based businessman, at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu on Sunday, August 2, 2026, after he allegedly ingested 98 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.51kg while preparing to travel to Italy through Addis Ababa and France.
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Cyril was arrested during the outward clearance of passengers boarding Ethiopian Airlines flight ET930, according to an NDLEA statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
NDLEA officers subsequently placed the suspect under excretion observation, during which he expelled all 98 wraps containing the cocaine.
The arrest followed an investigation into Cyril’s movements after he arrived in Nigeria from Italy on July 13.
Babafemi said the investigation established that Cyril had allegedly ingested the cocaine at a hotel in Awka, Anambra State, before travelling to Enugu to catch his flight.
In his statement to investigators, Cyril reportedly admitted agreeing to transport the drugs in exchange for money.
Babafemi said the suspect claimed he had been doing business in Italy for several years before accepting the assignment for €3,500. The money, according to the NDLEA spokesman, was intended to help Cyril finance his relocation to Germany, where his family is based.
The Enugu arrest formed part of a wider series of operations conducted by the anti-narcotics agency across several states between August 2 and August 8, resulting in the seizure of substantial quantities of cocaine and cannabis, as well as cannabis-infused products.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives foiled an attempt to export 1.2kg of cocaine to Saudi Arabia after discovering the substance concealed inside 25 phone chargers at a courier company.
A separate attempt to send 500g of cocaine to Italy was also stopped on Monday, August 3. Officers discovered the drug hidden inside the false bottom of a backpack at another logistics company.
The agency also intercepted 2.3kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, in a shipment arriving from the United States. The consignment was seized at another shipping company in Lagos on Tuesday, August 4.
The series of seizures extended beyond international trafficking routes to major domestic cannabis distribution networks.
NDLEA officers on patrol along the Akure-Ilesha Expressway intercepted a truck travelling north on Tuesday, August 4, and recovered 1,633kg of skunk concealed inside bags of rice chaff.
Two men identified as Buba Jamilu, 40, and Sanusi Ibrahim, 30, were arrested in connection with the consignment.
In another operation in Ondo State, NDLEA officers recovered 147kg of skunk from Ita Ogbolu forest during a raid on Monday, August 3.
The agency also reported a major cannabis seizure in Oyo State after officers acting on intelligence raided a drug warehouse in Elebure village, Orire Local Government Area, on August 3.
The operation yielded 731.03kg of cannabis and led to the arrest of Felicia Thompson, 57. NDLEA said Thompson’s alleged partner, Thompson Vincent Nwaka, remained at large.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers supported by soldiers recovered another 604.5kg of skunk during an operation at Ewe Luleha in Owan West Local Government Area on Wednesday, August 5.
The drugs were reportedly packed in 65 jumbo bags.
The agency recorded another seizure in Abia State on Thursday, August 6, when officers raided a suspected drug joint at Samec by Powerline Base in Osisioma Local Government Area.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 31-year-old Chibuike Charles and the seizure of 7kg of skunk.
In Lagos, NDLEA officers also arrested Adome Claude Sikuru, a wanted drug dealer, at the Fibre Market drug jungle in Badagry on Saturday, August 8.
Babafemi said the arrest followed a three-month manhunt and that 88.5kg of skunk was recovered from Sikuru at the time of his arrest.
The agency further reported a significant seizure at the Tin Can Island Port Complex in Lagos, where NDLEA officers, Customs personnel and other security agencies jointly examined a 40-foot container on Tuesday, August 4.
The inspection uncovered 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 was arrested in connection with the shipment.
The latest operations underline the increasingly varied methods being used to move illicit drugs through Nigeria’s airports, courier networks, seaports, roads and remote cultivation areas.
The Enugu case, in particular, highlights the risks traffickers continue to place on human couriers.
Drug ingestion, commonly referred to as internal concealment, involves swallowing individually wrapped packets of narcotics for transportation and can result in severe injury or death if a packet ruptures.
Cyril’s alleged journey also illustrates the international dimension of Nigeria’s drug trafficking networks, with the intended route linking Nigeria to Europe through Addis Ababa and France.
The NDLEA has intensified airport and courier surveillance in recent years as part of efforts to disrupt international trafficking networks.
The agency has repeatedly reported arrests involving passengers allegedly carrying drugs through Nigerian airports, alongside interceptions at courier firms and ports.
The latest seizures also show the scale of the domestic cannabis trade.
More than 3,000kg of cannabis was recovered across the operations detailed in the agency’s latest statement, excluding the cocaine and cannabis-infused confectioneries seized in Lagos.
NDLEA officials have continued to stress that intelligence-led operations, inter-agency cooperation and increased surveillance remain central to disrupting the supply chain.
For the agency, the arrest of Cyril and the other suspects represents more than individual enforcement successes.
The seizures across airports, roads, warehouses, forests, courier facilities and the nation’s busiest port point to an extensive network that requires sustained pressure at multiple points of the supply chain.
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The suspects are expected to face further investigation and prosecution in line with Nigerian drug laws, while the NDLEA continues efforts to locate individuals linked to the intercepted consignments who remain at large.
Victory Emmanuel is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
