A 48-year-old businessman, Nwankwo Innocent Onyebuchi, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos for allegedly attempting to smuggle 1.55kg of cocaine to India.
Onyebuchi, who reportedly deals in marble in Lagos, was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal II while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to New Delhi.
According to the NDLEA, the cocaine was concealed inside the side walls and railings of his check-in luggage.
During interrogation, the suspect allegedly told investigators that he sold his marble business and other assets to raise ₦23 million to purchase the cocaine. He reportedly planned to sell the consignment in India for about ₦100 million.
The arrest was part of the agency’s ongoing operations against drug trafficking across the country.
The NDLEA also disclosed several other drug seizures and arrests recorded in Lagos, Kano, Kwara, Edo, Plateau, Oyo and Delta states.
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In Lagos, operatives seized 3,776 cartons containing 377,600 bottles of codeine-based syrup valued at more than ₦2.6 billion. Another raid in Lagos led to the recovery of 324kg of Colorado cannabis, allegedly worth ₦972 million, from the residence of a suspected drug kingpin.
In other operations, the agency recovered large quantities of tramadol, codeine, cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine and other controlled substances, while several suspects were arrested.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across the various commands for their efforts in disrupting drug trafficking and reducing the supply of illicit substances.
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