NDLEA Thwarts N4.4 Billion Cocaine Smuggling Ring at Lagos Airport, Intercepts Counterfeit Currency
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted cocaine worth over N4.4 billion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
This seizure included 845 wraps of cocaine, totalling 18.72 kilograms, concealed within an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft from Brazil, routed through Ethiopia.
The drugs were hidden in two lavatories and discovered post-landing on 29th October during routine cabin cleaning.
NDLEA officials revealed that the intercepted cocaine was trafficked from Brazil to Ethiopia through drug mules, who ingested the contraband, later excreting the packages in Addis Ababa.
Accomplices attempted to smuggle the cocaine into Nigeria via Lagos airport, though the plot was foiled due to swift coordination between NDLEA, airline personnel, and airport security stakeholders.
In a statement signed by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy at the NDLEA, the Agency said Thirty suspects have since been interrogated in relation to the seizure.
Additionally, NDLEA officers thwarted attempts to export cocaine, cannabis, and tramadol concealed in cosmetic containers and artworks bound for Australia, the United Kingdom, and the UAE through Lagos-based courier services.
A separate operation at Apapa seaport intercepted 754,000 tablets of tapentadol and acetaminophen, valued at approximately N525 million, from a container originating in India.
In a series of nationwide operations, the NDLEA said its agents made multiple arrests and seizures.
In the Federal Capital Territory, officers apprehended 24-year-old Mujahid Hamisu with 147,000 tramadol pills along the Abuja expressway, while another suspect, Seun Abimbola, was found with 512 grams of methamphetamine in Giri.
Further north, along the Kabba-Obajana highway in Kogi State, 28-year-old Mercy Ameh was arrested while transporting counterfeit Naira notes totalling N4.35 million.
Another arrest saw Shaibu Dahiru, 27, detained with 68 cannabis blocks, weighing 27.4 kilograms, in a vehicle en route from Lagos to Katsina. NDLEA also apprehended a notorious Katsina-based drug dealer, Usman Abba, also known as “Timaya,” with a stash of cannabis at Liberty Hotel.
In the northeastern region, NDLEA detained Augustine Dike, 31, in Adamawa with 50.3 grams of methamphetamine, while Taraba agents confiscated nearly 50 kilograms of cannabis.
Ondo State operatives seized an additional 561 kilograms of cannabis abandoned in a Sienna bus near Ogbese village.
Raids in Kaduna and Edo States led to the discovery of substantial quantities of cannabis, tramadol, and exol 5 pills.
In Edo, agents seized over 900 kilograms of cannabis from multiple locations, marking a decisive strike against the local drug trade.
Meanwhile, NDLEA’s anti-drug campaign, the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), extended to schools, workplaces, and community centres nationwide.
Students at institutions such as Government Day Secondary School, Adamawa; College of Arts and Islamic Studies, Niger State; and Regina Catholic International College, Abia, participated in awareness sessions aimed at deterring youth drug abuse.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the concerted efforts of NDLEA’s MMIA, DOGI, Apapa, Kogi, FCT, Adamawa, Katsina, Kaduna, Ondo, Taraba, and Edo Commands.
He praised their determination to clamp down on drug syndicates while enhancing public awareness across Nigeria, urging continued vigilance and collaborative efforts in eradicating drug trafficking.
