THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intercepted drug consignments worth more than ₦5 billion at the Lagos and Onne ports, while arresting a businessman allegedly attempting to smuggle 4.80 kilogrammes of cocaine to Italy.
The 38-year-old suspect, identified as Philip Tunde, was arrested on September 27 at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan.
According to a statement signed on Saunday by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, operatives recovered 16 parcels of cocaine concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes. Another 195 wraps of the substance were hidden in the railings of four travelling bags.
The agency said the suspect told investigators that he paid ₦16 million in cash for the cocaine concealed in the shoes, while the consignment in the bags was intended for delivery to a partner in Italy. He said the money was raised from compensation he received after sustaining an injury at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, where he lost the tips of two fingers.
At the Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives, working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders, intercepted 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg. The consignment, valued at ₦372 million, was concealed inside two refrigerators and two cartons in a container shipped from Bangkok, Thailand.
At the Onne Port in Rivers State, another two containers placed on the NDLEA watchlist were subjected to joint examination. Officers recovered 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg from a travelling bag and three vehicles, while the second container contained 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg.
The agency said the container carrying the codeine syrup had travelled from India to Saudi Arabia, where its origin history was deleted before it was shipped onward.
The combined street value of the Loud and codeine consignments recovered at Onne was put at ₦833.2 million.
At the Tincan Island Port, Lagos, officers on September 29 intercepted a container shipped from Montreal, Canada, containing 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg.
The drugs, valued at more than ₦3.8 billion, were concealed inside a Toyota Sienna and a Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags.
Beyond the ports, NDLEA operatives continued raids and seizures across several states.
In Osun State, officers destroyed 20,234kg of skunk cultivated on 8.0936 hectares of cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area.
In Lagos, 209,000 tablets of tramadol were recovered from an unoccupied compound in Ago Palace, while a 23-year-old was arrested during a follow-up operation at Ladipo Spare Parts Market.
Taiwo was linked to the recovery of 61 grammes of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, and 24 grammes of methamphetamine concealed in a bottle of an energy drink and sent as a waybill package through a commercial bus.
In Kogi State, NDLEA officers intercepted a Lagos-Abuja commuter bus along the Okene-Lokoja highway and recovered two sachets containing 1kg of methamphetamine. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, a 29-year-old, in Utako, Abuja.
In Plateau State, a 41-year-old was arrested in the West of Mines area of Jos North following the seizure of 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers raided the residence of a 35-year-old 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 59 grammes of Loud, 12 grammes of Colorado, 19 grammes of tramadol, 16 grammes of methamphetamine, four grammes of Swinol and four grammes of Molly.
Meanwhile, the agency said it had arrested a 47-year-old Idris, six years after he allegedly jumped bail in a drug trafficking case before the Federal High Court in Jos.
The NDLEA said its commands across the country also continued its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation programmes in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain the intelligence-driven crackdown on drug trafficking networks.
Marwa also called for the continuation of the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement with prevention and sensitisation efforts.