NDLEA Busts Man Who Swallowed 74 Wraps of Hard Drugs at Abuja Airport
- NDLEA arrested businessman Orizu Ifeanyi Arthur for smuggling 74 wraps of heroin and cocaine to Paris, France, through Abuja airport
- In separate operations, NDLEA intercepted 1,960kg of cannabis at Eleko Beach and seized significant quantities of drugs in Katsina and Benin City
- NDLEA reinforced its efforts with War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaigns, urging continued vigilance in 2024 against drug cartels and substance abuse
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 48-year-old businessman, Orizu Ifeanyi Arthur, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for attempting to smuggle 74 wraps of heroin and cocaine to Paris, France.
Orizu, who was intercepted on December 22, 2024, during passenger clearance for Air France Flight 844, refused a body scan, citing medical reasons.
Orizu confessed that he was promised a huge sum of money if he delivered the drug successfully. Imae: NDLEASource: Twitter
However, he was detained for observation and excreted the illicit drugs over a seven-day period.
In his confession, Orizu disclosed that he owned a shop at Lagos Island’s Balogun Market and had been promised €3,000 for delivering the drugs to Paris.
NDLEA’s major drug hauls across Nigeria
In a separate operation, NDLEA’s Marine Command intercepted two boats carrying 1,960 kilograms of Ghanaian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, on Christmas Eve.
The bust occurred at Eleko Beach in Lekki, Lagos, leading to the arrest of six foreign nationals. Those apprehended included two Ghanaians and four Beninese nationals suspected of transporting the drugs from Ghana.
Elsewhere, in Katsina, operatives seized 75.5 kilograms of cannabis sativa in two operations. On Christmas Day, a suspect, Ibrahim Shaibu, 35, was caught with 40 parcels of compressed cannabis weighing 35kg at Central Motor Park. Days later, Umar Ahmed, 47, was intercepted along Zaria-Malumfashi Road with 27 parcels of the same substance weighing 13.5kg.
In Benin City, Edo State, NDLEA raided New Lagos Road on December 23, arresting 21-year-old Kosisochukwu Ozigbo. The operation led to the recovery of 32,490 tramadol pills, 936 bottles of codeine-based syrup, and other opioids.
NDLEA takes advocacy against drugs to schools
NDLEA has complemented these enforcement actions with public sensitization campaigns under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative. Advocacy events were held in schools, markets, and worship centers nationwide.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the agency’s officers for their efforts and urged them to intensify the fight against drug cartels while continuing WADA campaigns in the coming year.
Brazil-based Nigerian businessman arrested for swallowing drugs
Meanwhile, TheTalk.NG reported that Ezeokoli Sylva, a Nigerian living in Brazil, was arrested at Murtala Muhammed International Airport after drugs were found hidden in his stomach.
Under observation, he expelled 29 wraps of drugs, stating that he (Sylva) planned to sell the drugs in Nigeria to support his business.
The NDLEA reported additional busts, including 200 grams of drugs and pentazocine in Lagos, over 2,000 ampoules and Exol-5 pills in Kano, among others.
Source: TheTalk.NG
