Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 74-year-old man at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for allegedly attempting to traffic 11 kilograms of cocaine concealed in ground pepper.
The suspect was apprehended during a routine screening of outbound passengers at the airport after NDLEA officers discovered suspicious substances hidden inside containers of ground pepper packed in his luggage.
According to the anti-narcotics agency, further examination confirmed that the powdered substance was cocaine carefully concealed to evade detection.
The NDLEA said the suspect, whose identity has not been fully disclosed, was preparing to board an international flight when the illicit drug consignment was intercepted by operatives of the agency.
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said the arrest followed credible intelligence and vigilant screening by officers at the airport.
Babafemi noted that the seized drugs weighed about 11 kilograms and had been ingeniously packaged in ground pepper containers in a bid to beat security checks.
The NDLEA spokesman added that the suspect is currently in custody while investigations are ongoing to unravel other members of the drug trafficking network linked to the consignment.
The agency reiterated its commitment to intensifying surveillance and operations at airports and other entry points across the country to curb illicit drug trafficking.
He also warned that traffickers would continue to face the full weight of the law as the agency sustains its crackdown on narcotics smuggling.
