According to a press release from the agency, 75 people were arrested at the airport between January and June of this year on charges related to drug trafficking and money laundering.
The drugs mostly consisded of marijuana and ephedrine, while methamphetamines, cocaine and tramadol were seized in smaller amounts, Hamza Umar, the NDLEA commander in the Lagos airport, said.
Apart from the drugs, the NDLEA also confiscated $2.5 million in cash. About $2.1 million has been confiscated from a single currency exchange operator, Ibiteye John Bamidele. His case has been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.
It was learnt that 39 people were arrested for smuggling drugs out of Nigeria, while 28 were arrested for smuggling drugs into the country. The NDLEA press statement specified that 23 of the drug traffickers entering Nigeria had itineraries originating in Brazil.
NDLEA head Ahmadu Giade emphasized the necessity of blocking drug trafficking money flows, which sponsor powerful crime syndicates.
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