The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a suspected drug trafficker, Onyeka Valentine Emeka, at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu after he allegedly excreted cocaine concealed in his stomach during passenger screening operations.
According to the agency, the suspect was intercepted during the inward clearance of passengers arriving aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sierra Leone through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi disclosed that officers became suspicious of the suspect during routine checks and subsequently placed him under observation. The agency said the suspect later excreted cocaine weighing about 185.36 grams.
Babafemi explained that the arrest formed part of ongoing efforts by the anti-narcotics agency to strengthen surveillance and crack down on drug trafficking activities at airports and other entry points across the country.
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In a related operation, NDLEA operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja arrested a 29-year-old building engineer, Babatunde Prosper Afekhide, while he was preparing to board a flight to Milan, Italy, via Addis Ababa.
The agency said a search of his luggage led to the recovery of over 10,000 opioid pills, including Tramadol, Tramaking and Tapentadol, concealed inside cartons wrapped with foil paper in an attempt to evade security checks.
NDLEA also reported additional drug seizures in Lagos, Edo, Kano, Ekiti and Badagry as operatives intensified nationwide operations against illicit drug trafficking and distribution networks.
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