Operatives of Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested an ex-convict and three cargo agents at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos for attempting to smuggle 1.50 kilograms of cocaine to the United Kingdom.
The drugs were found concealed in factory-sealed sachets of cold-water starch on December 20.
Following the arrest of the three agents, investigations led to the alleged mastermind, Nwobodo Chidiebere Basil, who was apprehended in a sting operation on December 21.
According to the NDLEA, Basil is a repeat offender who was previously convicted for drug trafficking in 2023 but avoided a five-year prison sentence by paying a ₦7 million fine, a situation the agency says raises questions about Nigeria’s justice system.
