The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old man accused of masterminding cocaine shipments from Lagos to Saudi Arabia while allegedly operating under the cover of a herbal tea business.
The suspect, identified as Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu, was apprehended during a sting operation at Article Market, opposite Trade Fair Market in the Ojo area of Lagos, on Friday, September 4, 2026.
His arrest followed an intelligence-led investigation launched after NDLEA operatives intercepted 1.2 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed inside phone chargers at a courier company in Lagos on July 31. The consignment was reportedly destined for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
According to the NDLEA, Ebubechukwu was tracked after investigators linked him to the intercepted shipment. The agency said the suspect allegedly admitted to masterminding some drug shipments in the past and discarded his telephone SIM card after learning that the latest consignment had been seized.
The investigation also uncovered the suspect’s previous involvement in drug trafficking.
The NDLEA said Ebubechukwu was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos in 2011 after he allegedly ingested 900 grammes of cocaine and 130 grammes of heroin while attempting to travel to Austria.
He was subsequently prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to five years in prison. The agency said he later changed his name from Dunu Chukwuyenre Enoch to Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu before allegedly returning to the illicit drug trade.
A search of his residence in Ejigbo, Lagos, reportedly resulted in the recovery of phone chargers similar to those allegedly used to conceal the cocaine shipment. Investigators found that the internal components of the chargers had been removed to create space for drugs.
The arrest formed part of a wider nationwide operation by the NDLEA, which also resulted in the interception of various quantities of illicit drugs and pharmaceutical opioids in several states.
At Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives reportedly seized 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, valued at more than N1.1 billion, while another operation led to the recovery of 57.8kg of synthetic cannabis.
The agency also reported the seizure of more than two tonnes of cannabis concealed inside a fuel tanker in Ondo State, alongside other drug recoveries in Lagos, Adamawa, Kogi and other parts of the country.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and warned that drug traffickers attempting to conceal their activities behind legitimate businesses would continue to be pursued.
The latest arrest highlights the agency’s continued efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating within Nigeria and those using the country as a route for international shipments.
