Authorities seize substantial shipment of cocaine at Lagos international airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has made a significant seizure of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command in Lagos, uncovering a large consignment of the illicit substance.

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This discovery was made possible through a statement issued by NDLEA Spokesman, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja, which revealed that the cocaine was cleverly concealed in heads of imported dry stock fish.

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According to Babafemi, operatives of the NDLEA also apprehended a key figure in the syndicate responsible for shipping the substance worldwide, particularly to India, following intelligence on their trans-border activities.

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The successful operation was the result of a well-coordinated sting by NDLEA operatives at the MMIA's Ojo area in Lagos on March 19, which led to the smashing of the drug syndicate.

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During the operation, three jumbo-sized bags were found in the possession of the kingpin, and upon searching the bags, 237 wraps of cocaine were discovered buried in the heads of imported dry stock fish, locally known as "Okporoko".

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The cocaine pellets had a gross weight of 5.80 kilogrammes and were intended for export to Delhi, India, according to Babafemi.

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In a separate operation in Lagos on March 25, NDLEA operatives from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation intercepted two illicit consignments headed to the United Kingdom at a courier company.

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One of the shipments, which originated from Cotonou, Benin Republic, contained 1.9 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in automobile filters, while the second parcel held 40 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate and nine ampoules of Fentanyl.

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On March 26, operatives from the Special Operations Unit of the agency raided the house of a female head of a notorious drug syndicate, arresting the 46-year-old suspect and her sales girl at 13 Carter street, Yaba, Lagos.

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No fewer than 135 blocks of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 76.30kg, were recovered from the suspect, who is known as "Iya Ghana" and trades in local fabric while secretly running a drug distribution network between Nigeria and Ghana.

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On the same day, the SOU operatives also arrested another suspect at Doyin bus stop, Surulere, Lagos, following credible intelligence, and seized a total of 78 blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 41kg from him.

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NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of the MMIA, SOU, and DOGI commands for the arrests and seizures, praising their counterparts across the country for achieving a fair balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.