NDLEA cocaine seizure: Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a Milan-bound businessman with 4.80kg of cocaine concealed in the soles of shoes and railings of travel bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Philip Tunde, was arrested on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.
NDLEA Cocaine Seizure at Lagos Airport
A thorough search by NDLEA operatives led to the recovery of 16 parcels of a white powdery substance hidden inside the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes.
Another 195 wraps of the substance were discovered concealed in the railings of four travelling bags.
The substances tested positive for cocaine, with a combined weight of 4.80kg.
During questioning, the suspect reportedly told NDLEA that he paid N16 million in cash for the cocaine concealed in the shoes, while the consignment hidden in the bags was intended for delivery to his partner in Italy.
He reportedly said he raised the money from compensation he received following an injury sustained while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, where he lost the tips of two fingers.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the Apapa, Tincan Island and Onne seaports have intercepted consignments containing Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, and codeine-based cough syrup worth billions of naira.
The agency said the seizures followed months of intelligence gathering and tracking of the shipments from their respective ports of origin.
At the Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA officers acting on intelligence subjected two containers from Bangkok, Thailand, to 100 per cent examination alongside officers of the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders.
A search of one of the containers on Saturday, September 3, led to the recovery of 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg and valued at N372 million.
The cannabis was concealed inside two refrigerators and two cartons.
At the Onne Port in Rivers State, two containers placed on the NDLEA watchlist following processed intelligence were subjected to a joint examination involving Customs and other security agencies.
The operation led to the discovery of 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg, concealed in a travelling bag and three of five vehicles shipped inside one of the containers.
The vehicles included a Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra.
The second container contained 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg.
According to the NDLEA, the container had departed India for Saudi Arabia, where its origin history was allegedly deleted to avoid detection.
The seized codeine and Loud consignments had a combined street value of N833.2 million, according to the agency.
At the Tincan Island Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday, September 29, conducted a joint examination of a watch-listed container shipped from Montreal, Canada.
The operation resulted in the seizure of 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg.
The cannabis was concealed inside a Toyota Sienna and Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags in the container.
The NDLEA said the consignment had an estimated street value of more than N3.8 billion.
In Osun State, NDLEA operatives destroyed 20,234kg of skunk on 8.0936 hectares of cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area, on Wednesday, September 30.
A suspect, 41-year-old Agbo Dennis, was also arrested on Tuesday, September 29, at the West of Mines area of Jos North, Plateau State, following the seizure of 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.
NDLEA Recovers Tramadol, Methamphetamine and Cannabis in Lagos
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Monday, September 28, raided an unoccupied compound at Divine Estate, Ago Palace, where they recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol.
In a separate follow-up operation, 23-year-old Ekundayo Taiwo was arrested on Wednesday, September 30, at Ladipo Spare Parts Market.
His arrest followed the seizure of 61 grams of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, and 24 grams of methamphetamine allegedly concealed in a bottle of an energy drink and sent as a waybill package.
The seizure followed an earlier operation involving a commercial bus driver along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
In Kogi State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Okene-Lokoja Highway on Wednesday, September 30, intercepted a Lagos-Abuja commuter bus.
During a search, officers discovered a waybill containing two sachets of methamphetamine weighing 1kg.
A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, 29-year-old Michael Chukwuememka Uzoma, at Utako, Abuja.
In Edo State, NDLEA officers raided the residence of 35-year-old Saturday Omimi at Uyere community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, on Friday, October 2.
The operation resulted in the recovery of 32.2kg of cannabis sativa.
On the same day, 23-year-old Osazuwa Iyabor Michael was arrested at Auchi Bypass, Benin City, with 59 grams of Loud, 12 grams of Colorado, 19 grams of tramadol, 16 grams of methamphetamine, 4 grams of Swinol and 4 grams of Molly.
In another development, NDLEA operatives arrested 47-year-old fugitive Idris Mohammed Kurra on Tuesday, September 29, six years after he allegedly jumped bail.
Kurra was facing trial at the Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau State, over alleged possession and dealing in 198kg of skunk.
The NDLEA said he had been on the run since December 2020 after allegedly jumping bail granted by the court.
NDLEA Sustains War Against Drug Abuse Campaign
Beyond seizures and arrests, NDLEA commands and formations across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities during the week.
The activities included enlightenment lectures for students and staff of St. Paul’s Secondary School, Oji, Enugu; Olu-Odo Primary School, Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Lagos; Government Junior Secondary School, Tsamiya, Kano; Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti; and Government Science Secondary School, Lokoja, Kogi State, among others.
While commending officers and men of the MMIA, Apapa, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Plateau and Osun Commands for their professionalism and intelligence-driven operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), urged personnel to sustain efforts against drug trafficking networks.
Marwa also called on officers across the country to maintain the Agency’s balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement operations with prevention, sensitisation and other measures.
The latest NDLEA drug seizures come as the agency continues its nationwide operations against drug trafficking and illicit drug distribution networks.
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