Nigeria has sentenced five members of two international drug syndicates to a combined 21 years in prison following major cocaine and opioid seizures linked to trafficking routes targeting Gabon and Australia.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced on Friday that the first group of three was arrested after operatives intercepted 17.9 kilograms of cocaine concealed in textile materials and traditional charms at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. The shipment was bound for Sydney, Australia.
Subsequent searches uncovered an additional 20.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud cannabis and a Range Rover SUV.
Each of the three was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The court ordered the forfeiture of the Range Rover and a Toyota Venza seized during the investigation.
In a separate case, another duo was arrested after 2.6 kilograms of cocaine and 27.9 kilograms of tramadol hidden in motor spare parts and destined for Gabon were intercepted.
The two were arraigned before the court and pleaded guilty to six counts. They received three-year prison terms, with an option to pay ₦2 million (approximately $1,300 USD) each in fines.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of ₦4 million (approximately $2,700 USD) that one of the defendants attempted to use as a bribe during the investigation.
The NDLEA said the convictions underscore intensified efforts to dismantle transnational drug trafficking networks using Nigerian airports as exit points to Africa, Europe, and the Pacific.
