The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized 19.4 kg (42.77 pounds) of cocaine and 4.66 billion naira ($2.93 million) at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The hard drug was reportedly seized from a 48-year-old Nigerian passenger who was on a flight from Ethiopia.
According to the NDLEA, the trafficker had been convicted of the same crime last year but paid a fine to avoid jail time.
There is a rising trend of cocaine seizures in West African countries, notably Nigeria, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau.
Earlier this month, authorities in Guinea-Bissau seized a private aircraft carrying 2,633 kilograms of cocaine packaged in 78 bales, the largest drug burst in the country’s history.
Nigeria, whose President was once indicted for drug trafficking, has recently moved from being a transit point for gangs transporting drugs between South America and Europe to becoming a significant consumer and distributor country.
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