Christian Ogbuji, a 48-year-old Nigerian businessman, has been re-arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for smuggling cocaine, just 16 months after his previous conviction.
Ogbuji was first apprehended in May 2023 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after ingesting 93 pellets of cocaine, weighing 1.986kg.
He was convicted in July 2023 and sentenced to two years in prison, later opting to pay a N3 million fine.
On September 18, 2024, Ogbuji was caught again at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, during inward clearance from an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
He attempted to smuggle 817 wraps of cocaine weighing 19.40kg and valued at N4.6 billion. NDLEA officers discovered the drugs concealed in a black backpack, which he had initially left on a conveyor belt to avoid detection.
Related News: UK-Bound Drug Smuggling Foiled: Major Seizures at Lagos Airport
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, described Ogbuji as a major player in a drug cartel operating between Brazil, Ethiopia, and West Africa.
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