The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted drug consignments valued at over ₦5 billion at Lagos and Onne ports, and arrested a businessman accused of attempting to smuggle 4.8 kilograms of cocaine to Italy.
According to a statement released on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, the 38-year-old suspect was apprehended on September 27 at Terminal 2 of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan. Operatives recovered 16 parcels of cocaine hidden in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes. An additional 195 wraps of the substance were found concealed in the railings of four travel bags.
The suspect reportedly told investigators he paid ₦16 million in cash for the cocaine in the shoes, while the consignment in the bags was meant for a partner in Italy. He claimed to have raised the funds from compensation received after losing two fingertips in a workplace accident at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy.
At Lagos’ Apapa Port, NDLEA operatives working alongside the Nigeria Customs Service intercepted 161 parcels of Thai Loud, weighing 124kg and valued at ₦372 million. The drugs were concealed inside two refrigerators and two cartons within a container shipped from Bangkok, Thailand.
Further operations at Onne Port in Rivers State led to the examination of two containers on the NDLEA watchlist. Officers discovered 40 packs of Loud (22kg) in a travel bag and three vehicles, while another container held 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg. The agency noted that the codeine shipment originated in India, passed through Saudi Arabia where its origin was obscured, and was then shipped onward.
On September 29, NDLEA officers at Lagos’ Tincan Island Port intercepted a container from Montreal, Canada, containing 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg. The drugs, worth more than ₦3.8 billion, were hidden inside a Toyota Sienna, a Hyundai Elantra, 24 blue drums, and six jumbo bags.
Beyond the ports, NDLEA operatives continued raids and seizures across the country. In Osun State, officers destroyed 20,234kg of skunk cultivated on 8.09 hectares of cannabis farm in Ife South Local Government Area. In Lagos, 209,000 tablets of tramadol were recovered from an unoccupied compound in Ago Palace, and a 23-year-old was arrested during a follow-up operation at Ladipo Spare Parts Market.
Another individual, Taiwo, was linked to the recovery of 61 grams of Colorado (a synthetic cannabis strain) and 24 grams of methamphetamine, which were concealed in an energy drink bottle and sent as a waybill package via commercial bus.
In Kogi State, NDLEA officers intercepted a Lagos-Abuja commuter bus on the Okene-Lokoja highway, seizing two sachets containing 1kg of methamphetamine. A subsequent operation led to the arrest of the suspected owner, a 29-year-old, in Utako, Abuja.
In Plateau State, a 41-year-old was arrested in Jos North after 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg were seized.
In Edo State, officers raided a residence in Ovia North-East Local Government Area, recovering 32.2kg of cannabis sativa. The same day, a 23-year-old was arrested at Auchi Bypass, Benin City, with a variety of drugs including Loud, Colorado, tramadol, methamphetamine, Swinol, and Molly in various quantities.
Additionally, the agency reported the arrest of Idris, 47, who had been on the run for six years after allegedly jumping bail in a drug trafficking case before the Federal High Court in Jos.
NDLEA commands nationwide also continued the War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign in schools, religious centres, workplaces, and communities.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd), commended the officers involved and urged them to maintain the momentum in intelligence-driven operations against drug trafficking networks. He also stressed the need for a balanced approach, combining enforcement with prevention and sensitisation efforts.
