NDLEA Arrests Passenger With 82 Cocaine Wraps at Kano Airport

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a passenger attempting to smuggle cocaine to Italy after he swallowed dozens of drug wraps in a high-risk trafficking attempt at Kano’s international airport.

The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Michael Gohouri, was apprehended at the departure hall of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while preparing to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight bound for Milan via Addis Ababa.

NDLEA officials flagged the passenger during routine clearance checks, prompting a body scan that revealed suspicious foreign objects in his system. Authorities immediately placed him under observation for further investigation.

82 cocaine wraps recovered after medical observation

During the monitoring period, the suspect excreted 82 wraps of cocaine weighing approximately 1.49 kilograms, confirming NDLEA’s suspicions of internal drug concealment.

According to the agency, investigations showed that Gohouri had arrived in Nigeria from Milan earlier in January and spent several weeks moving between Lagos and Enugu before travelling to Kano. He reportedly ingested the drugs in a hotel room before attempting to transport them overseas.

Officials said the suspect was promised a payment of €5,000 upon successful delivery of the drugs in Italy, highlighting the financial incentives often used by international drug trafficking networks to recruit couriers.

Further checks revealed that although he is an Ivorian national, Gohouri also holds a Nigerian National Identification Number and obtained Italian residency status in 2013.

NDLEA uncovers wider trafficking operations across Nigeria

The arrest forms part of a broader anti-drug crackdown targeting trafficking routes through Nigeria’s airports, seaports, and land borders.

In a separate operation at the Seme border, NDLEA officers intercepted a woman attempting to cross into the Benin Republic with 3,200 tramadol capsules concealed under a fake pregnancy disguise.

Meanwhile, another suspect was arrested in Lagos after authorities recovered 89.2 kilograms of cannabis at his residence. Additional seizures were recorded in Ogun State and Rivers State, where operatives uncovered large quantities of illicit drugs, including codeine-based cough syrup hidden inside shipping containers.

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Authorities also intercepted thousands of tramadol pills concealed in audio equipment on a commercial bus travelling between Lagos and Kano, leading to further arrests during follow-up investigations.

Airports remain key focus in anti-drug enforcement

Nigeria’s airports continue to serve as critical checkpoints in the country’s fight against drug trafficking. NDLEA officials say traffickers are increasingly using creative concealment methods, including ingesting drugs, hiding them in luggage, and disguising them in everyday items.

The agency has intensified surveillance and intelligence-led operations in recent years, resulting in multiple arrests involving both local and international suspects.

NDLEA reiterated its commitment to dismantling trafficking networks and warned that anyone attempting to use Nigeria as a transit point for illicit drugs would face serious legal consequences.