A 53-year-old Brazilian returnee, Okolie Nwabueze, has been arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allegedly importing 92 wraps of cocaine.

This is even as Mr Nwabueze, a father of two, ingested the drugs and eventually excreted them after days under observation in the agency’s facility.

A statement by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja said the suspect, who hailed from Mmaku village, Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, was arrested on September 2.

The arrest was upon his arrival on a Qatar Airlines flight en route Brazil-Doha-Abuja.

The NDLEA spokesperson said the suspect claimed to have left Nigeria for Mozambique in 2004 and finally relocated to Brazil in 2017.

Mr Babafemi said the suspect obtained a residence permit in Brazil before importing the illicit substance for a $4,000 fee.

Similarly, a 42-year-old man, Aliyu Kwasare, was arrested at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano.

Mr Babafemi said the suspect was caught for attempting to export a consignment of a new psychoactive substance, “Akuskura”, to Saudi Arabia.

He said the suspect, an indigene of Kware LGA in Sokoto, who lived in the Goron Dutse area of Kano, was arrested on September 5.

The NDLES spokesperson said the suspect was arrested during the outward clearance of passengers on an Ethiopian Airline flight to Riyadh.

In another development, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos, no fewer than 1.099 million tablets of Tramadol (225mg) have been seized.

Mr Babafemi said the drugs were intercepted through inter-agency collaboration between NDLEA and the Nigerian Customs.

“The pharmaceutical opioids packed in 50 cartons weighing 2,058.90kg were imported from Pakistan via Addis-Ababa on Ethiopian Airways.

“The consignment was concealed among other non-controlled pharmaceuticals.

“Also, a freight agent, Aliyu Abubakar, was arrested Friday at the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) export shed of the airport.

“The arrest was over an attempt to export a consignment of cannabis concealed inside bottles of Caro white body lotion,” he said.

(NAN)