Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of illicit drugs concealed in frozen snails, electrical bulbs and female clothing, destined for the United States, the United Kingdom and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The seizures were made at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and a courier company in Lagos.
Two suspects linked to these attempts have already been taken into custody. Boladale Riliwan, a cargo agent, was arrested on 7 October after officers discovered 15 parcels of skunk, a strain of cannabis, hidden inside 10 giant rechargeable electrical bulbs presented for export to the DRC.
On 12 October, Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, a 48-year-old UK-based Public Health Assistant, was apprehended at Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport after 2,300 tramadol 225mg tablets were found concealed in frozen snails in her luggage bound for Manchester.
NDLEA officers also foiled an attempt to export 810 bromazepam pills hidden in women’s garments to the United States on 16 October.
In Adamawa State, Bello Buba was intercepted at an NDLEA checkpoint in Yola South with 38,270 tramadol tablets concealed in the spare tyre, boot and door compartments of his vehicle. Investigations revealed the consignment had been transported from Benin Republic.
The Agency further destroyed 53,250 kilograms of skunk across 21.3 hectares of cannabis farm in Ilawe Ekiti and recovered 1,140 kilograms during an operation in Ekiti and Ondo States. Arrests associated with these seizures included young men aged between 20 and 27.
Additional recoveries were made in Oyo, Ogun, Imo and Enugu States, where suspects were found with hundreds of kilograms of skunk or thousands of opioid tablets.
In Lagos, 117 kilograms of skunk were seized from a Mushin-based suspect, while 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup from India were intercepted at Apapa port during a joint examination with Customs.
Chairman of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers for their work and urged continued vigilance.
“The balanced approach to drug control must be sustained across all Commands,” he said.
Alongside enforcement, NDLEA continues its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation programmes in schools, workplaces, and communities nationwide, highlighting the ongoing commitment to both prevention and control.
