Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted multiple consignments of illicit drugs concealed in unusual items including body cream containers, winter jackets, and carton walls at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The agency said the seizures were part of a wider crackdown on drug trafficking networks attempting to smuggle opioids and methamphetamine to destinations in Europe and beyond.
Two suspects linked to shipments bound for Italy were arrested at the airport. One of them, Friday Ehianuka, was intercepted on March 20 while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome. NDLEA officers discovered 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg hidden inside containers of skin-lightening cream in his luggage. The suspect, who resides in Milan, reportedly admitted he was to be paid in euros upon successful delivery.
In a separate operation, another Italy-bound passenger, Christian Agbonhese, was arrested on March 18 while trying to board a Lufthansa flight. A search of his luggage uncovered 28,470 pills of opioids—including tramadol and tapentadol—concealed inside winter jackets.
At a Lagos-based courier firm, NDLEA operatives also intercepted parcels containing “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis shipped from the United States, as well as 158 grams of methamphetamine hidden within carton walls destined for New Zealand.
The agency’s operations extended across several states. In Kano State, two suspects were arrested with a combined 198kg of skunk, while in Lagos, over 21,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup were recovered from a store in the Ijora area. Additional seizures were made on the Third Mainland Bridge, where suspects were caught transporting thousands of bottles of the same substance.
In Edo State, nearly 100kg of skunk was recovered from a suspect’s residence, while in the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives intercepted a commercial bus along the Gwagwalada expressway, uncovering 91,840 tramadol pills hidden in its compartments.
Further operations in Oyo State, Kaduna State, Taraba State, and Adamawa State led to the recovery of hundreds of thousands of additional opioid pills and cannabis, with multiple suspects arrested.
Chairman of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across the various commands for their coordinated efforts, urging them to sustain the agency’s dual approach of enforcement and prevention under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
The agency also continued its nationwide sensitisation programmes, targeting schools, communities, and workplaces to curb drug abuse and trafficking.
The latest interceptions highlight both the evolving tactics of drug trafficking organisations and the intensifying efforts by Nigerian authorities to disrupt their operations at home and across international routes.