NDLEA Busts Drug Lords: 125 Wraps Of Heroin Excreted At Airports, Colorado And Tramadol Seized [Photos]

This was disclosed in a statement released on Sunday by NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi.

First Trafficker Nabbed at Port Harcourt Airport

One of the suspects, Onyekwonike Elochuckwu Sylvanus, 30, was arrested while using a Sierra Leonean passport under the alias Kargbo Mohamed Foday. Sylvanus, who reportedly maintains dual identities to facilitate cross-border drug trafficking, was apprehended by NDLEA operatives on Sunday, February 2, 2025, at Port Harcourt airport after arriving on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha via Abuja.

A body scan revealed the presence of illicit drugs in his system, prompting authorities to place him under excretion observation. Over the course of five excretions, Sylvanus expelled 62 wraps of heroin, weighing a total of 1.348 kilograms.

Investigations revealed that Sylvanus has been trafficking heroin between Thailand, Pakistan, Iran, and West Africa, frequently switching between his Nigerian and Sierra Leonean identities. He confessed to entering the drug trade full-time in 2017 following the collapse of his clothing and shoe business.

Second Drug Kingpin Arrested at Lagos Airport

Another trafficker, James Herbert Chinoso, 48, was apprehended at MMIA on Saturday, February 1, 2025. Chinoso arrived from Madagascar via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airlines flight. A body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit drugs, leading to his placement under excretion watch. He later expelled 63 wraps of heroin, totaling 909 grams.

Chinoso had departed Lagos for Madagascar on January 26, 2025, and returned after a week. During interrogation, he admitted to engaging in drug trafficking after his phone accessories business in Liberia failed.

Additional Drug Seizures in Lagos

In separate operations, NDLEA operatives intercepted two parcels containing 2.82 kilograms of Loud, a potent synthetic cannabis strain, at a courier firm in Lagos. The shipment had been imported from the United States and was destined for Lagos.

Furthermore, on Thursday, February 6, NDLEA agents seized another consignment containing 80 ampoules of pentazocine injection (weighing 225 grams) concealed in cartons at a different logistics company in Lagos. This shipment was en route to Canada.