Italy-based Nigerian Arrested for Cocaine Trafficking

Joseph Cyril, a 30-year-old businessman based in Italy, was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu on Sunday. He was apprehended during the outward clearance of passengers for Ethiopian Airlines flight ET930, which was headed to Italy via Addis Ababa and France.

Cyril had allegedly ingested 98 wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.510 kilogrammes, for the purpose of trafficking. Following his arrest, he was placed under excretion observation, during which he expelled the cocaine.

Investigations revealed that Cyril had arrived in Nigeria from Italy on July 13 and ingested the drug in a hotel in Awka, Anambra State, before heading to Enugu. In his confessional statement, he indicated that he had been conducting business in Italy for several years and agreed to traffic the drugs for €3,500 to raise funds for relocating to Germany, where his family resides.