VIDEO: NDLEA Busts Businessman Carrying 53 Cocaine Pellets

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended a businessman, Ezemokwe Chukwuebuka Christian, at Port Harcourt International Airport for drug trafficking. On June 7, the 44-year-old was caught attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Tehran with 53 wraps of cocaine concealed inside his body.

Following a body scan that detected narcotics ingestion, the suspect was placed under medical observation and expelled the drugs in six stages, totaling 1.172 kilograms. NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed the suspect admitted to trafficking cocaine between West Africa and Iran for two years.

This arrest follows a similar case at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport where Chinedu Leonard Okigbo, 60, was found with 65 wraps of cocaine internally concealed, also destined for Iran.

In a separate case at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Edobor Ambrose Ali was arrested with 14,410 tramadol pills hidden in winter jackets on a flight to Italy. The suspect revealed he was hired and paid to transport the drugs.

Additionally, NDLEA seized 157,800 bottles of codeine-based syrup worth over ₦1.1 billion at Port Harcourt Ports, concealed behind ceramic sanitary wares. Joint operations with Customs and security agencies facilitated the seizure.

In Cross River State, 2,687 kilograms of skunk cannabis were recovered from a warehouse raid, while 287 kilograms were seized from suspects arrested on the Bauchi–Jos road.

The NDLEA Marine Command recovered 560 kilograms of skunk from a boat at Oniru beach, Lagos. At Maiduguri airport, two businessmen were arrested with ecstasy pills and cannabis disguised as sweets labeled ‘Lychee’ and ‘Porro Legal.’

NDLEA continues to strengthen its operations against drug trafficking across Nigeria’s transport hubs.