The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two Brazil returnees who excreted a combined 116 wraps of heroin and cocaine after days in observatory custody.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. He said the suspects were intercepted by operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
According to him, the first suspect was arrested on September 16 at Terminal 2 upon arrival from São Paulo, Brazil, via Ethiopian Airlines. A body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit drugs.
“He was lodged under observation where he egested 111 wraps of heroin weighing 1.45 kilograms in eight excretions,” Babafemi said.
A follow-up operation at a hotel in Amuwo Odofin led to the arrest of 55-year-old Nweke Chuckwudi, who was designated to oversee the recovery of the drugs.
In a separate case, another Brazil returnee was arrested on September 19 during inward clearance of Ethiopian Airlines passengers from São Paulo via Addis Ababa.
“A body scan confirmed ingestion, and under observation, he expelled five big wraps of cocaine weighing 145 grams,” Babafemi stated.
The suspect admitted he initially inserted nine wraps of cocaine in Brazil but discarded two during transit in Addis Ababa due to severe anal pain. He managed to reinsert seven wraps, but expelled two mid-flight, arriving Nigeria with only five.
The returnee further revealed he had been in the clothing business before moving to the United States in 2020, where he was arrested for immigration offences and deported in 2022. He later relocated to Brazil in 2025 after securing residency.
