NDLEA arrests bizman with 98 cocaine wraps at Enugu airport

On August 2, 2026, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) apprehended Joseph Cyril, a 30-year-old Italian businessman, at Enugu's Akanu Ibiam International Airport. Cyril had ingested 98 wraps of cocaine, amounting to 1.510 kilograms, while attempting to travel to Europe via the airport. The arrest occurred during the departure screening of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET930.

According to the NDLEA, Cyril had arrived in Nigeria from Italy on July 13 and consumed the cocaine at a hotel in Awka, Anambra State, prior to boarding his flight to Europe. The agency disclosed that Cyril had claimed his motive was to raise funds for a relocation to Germany to reunite with his family. The NDLEA also intercepted cocaine hidden in phone chargers and a backpack during separate attempts to smuggle the drug to Saudi Arabia and Europe.