Orizu Ifeanyi Arthur, a 48-year-old businessman, was arrested at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja on Sunday, 22nd December 2024, for attempting to smuggle drugs. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives caught Arthur after he ingested 74 wraps of heroin and cocaine in an attempt to board Air France flight 844 to Paris.
Arthur, who owns a shop selling bags at Lagos’ Balogun market, was initially pulled aside for a body scan but refused, claiming a medical condition. He was then taken into custody for observation, during which he excreted 74 wraps of the Class A drugs over seven days.
In his statement, Arthur revealed that he had been promised 3,000 Euros to deliver the drugs to Paris. He had traveled from Lagos to Abuja in hopes of evading detection.
In a separate operation on Christmas Eve, NDLEA’s Marine Command intercepted two boats at Eleko Beach, Lagos, carrying 1,960 kilograms of Ghanaian Loud cannabis. Six foreign nationals were arrested, including two Ghanaians and four Beninese.
NDLEA operatives also arrested suspects in Katsina and Benin City during the holiday period, seizing large quantities of cannabis and opioids. Ibrahim Shaibu, 35, was arrested with 35kg of cannabis, while Umar Ahmed, 47, was apprehended with 13.5kg. Additionally, Kosisochukwu Ozigbo, 21, was arrested with over 32,000 tramadol pills and hundreds of bottles of codeine-based syrup.
