Korede Abdullah 
LAGOS, Nigeria – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 25-year-old businessman at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, for allegedly attempting to traffic 72 wraps of cocaine to Portugal.
The suspect, identified as Lovely Chukwulobelu, was arrested on September 25 while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Portugal through Addis Ababa, according to the agency. The NDLEA said the cocaine was concealed in his stomach.
In a statement on Sunday, the agency’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said Chukwulobelu was placed under excretion observation and subsequently expelled all 72 wraps of the drug.
Babafemi said the suspect, who lives in Portugal, had previously operated a car-decoration business at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, Lagos, before relocating to Portugal in May 2023.
The agency quoted the suspect as saying he turned to drug trafficking to offset expenses incurred during his wedding. “He said he resorted to the criminal trade to offset expenses incurred during his wedding,” Babafemi said.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives recovered 2,550,000 pills of Tramakings 225mg and 250mg and Royal Tapentadol 250mg, with a combined weight of 1,640.55kg.
The agency said the medicines were recovered from three monitored consignments imported from India and Bangladesh through Qatar Airways, RwandAir and Ethiopian Airlines at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
In Bauchi, two suspects were arrested with 300 compressed blocks of skunk weighing 262.5kg, while two cannabis farms with an estimated yield of 1,360.23kg were destroyed in Edo State.
Three suspects were also arrested in Lagos with various quantities of skunk and controlled medicines.
In Oyo State, two Togolese nationals were arrested with 305.6kg of skunk allegedly sourced from Ghana.
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Hope Ajayi 
