Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested three suspected drug traffickers who excreted 236 wraps of cocaine after being intercepted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
The suspects according to the agency spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, include a China-based Nigerian businessman and two Angolan nationals, who were apprehended during separate clearance operations while attempting to board outbound international flights.
He say intelligence reports prompted anti-narcotics officers to conduct body scans, which confirmed ingestion of illicit substances.
The agency disclosed that the Nigerian suspect was arrested while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to China.
He was placed under observation and later excreted 52 pellets of cocaine weighing over 735 grams, reportedly admitting to relocating abroad in recent years after operating a business in Lagos.
On the same day, the Angolan nationals were intercepted while boarding an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Turkey.
Both suspects were monitored and later expelled a combined 184 wraps of cocaine, allegedly revealing they were promised monetary rewards by a foreign drug sponsor.
In another operation at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, NDLEA operatives foiled an attempt by a convicted drug kingpin to export cocaine concealed in cassava granules on a Virgin Atlantic flight to London.
Investigations revealed the suspect, currently serving a jail term at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre, allegedly coordinated the shipment from prison through his logistics network, leading to the arrest of an accomplice.
Meanwhile, enforcement actions in Lagos uncovered another suspect accused of concealing skunk inside jerry cans bound for the United Kingdom, while officers in Abuja intercepted cannabis concealed in a toy shipment traced to its owner.
The agency also confirmed additional raids across the country, including the discovery of a synthetic cannabis production site in Lekki and the arrest of a suspected female drug dealer in Ibadan, as authorities intensify the nationwide crackdown on narcotics trafficking.
Reporting By Nosa Aituamen