The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted two suspected drug traffickers attempting to smuggle heroin into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos and the Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers State. The suspects excreted a total of 125 wraps of heroin.
At the Port Harcourt airport, Onyekwonike Elochuckwu Sylvanus (alias Kargbo Mohamed Foday), 30, arriving from Doha via Abuja, was arrested after excreting 62 wraps of heroin weighing 1.348 kilograms. The NDLEA revealed that Sylvanus used two identities and frequented drug trafficking routes between Thailand, Pakistan, Iran, and West Africa. He claimed to have entered the drug trade after his clothing business failed in 2017.
In Lagos, James Herbert Chinoso, 48, arriving from Madagascar via Addis Ababa, was arrested after a body scan revealed he had ingested 63 wraps of heroin weighing 909 grams. Chinoso, who had traveled to Madagascar a week prior, claimed his phone accessories business in Liberia had collapsed, leading him to drug trafficking.
Beyond the airport seizures, the NDLEA also intercepted 2.82 kilograms of “Loud” cannabis imported from the U.S. at a Lagos courier company. Another 80 ampoules of pentazocine injection (225 grams) destined for Canada were seized at a different logistics firm.
In Kano, two suspects were arrested with over 15,000 tramadol pills hidden in a gas cylinder, and a woman was apprehended with 15 kilograms of cannabis. In Kogi State, over 12,000 tramadol pills and 1.6 kilograms of Colorado cannabis were seized, resulting in two arrests.
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