A significant drug bust occurred at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, where the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recovered approximately 18.72 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the lavatories of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft. This seizure, valued at around ₦4.4 billion, took place during the post-landing cleaning of the flight from Addis Ababa on October 29, 2024. The drugs were hidden in nine polythene bags in the waste collectors of the rear lavatories.
Following the discovery, at least 30 suspects have been detained and are currently being interrogated. Investigations suggest that the cocaine was transported from Brazil to Ethiopia, where it was ingested by couriers and later excreted. Subsequent traffickers attempted to smuggle the drugs into Nigeria, but their plans were thwarted thanks to cooperation between airline authorities and NDLEA operatives.
In addition to this operation, the NDLEA has been active in combating drug trafficking more broadly, recently seizing additional substances hidden in body cream containers destined for Australia, the UAE, and the UK
