Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a Milan-bound businessman, Philip Tunde, with 4.80 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the soles of shoes and the railings of travel bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos.
Accoording to the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi who disclosed this inva press release , the 38-year-old suspect was arrested on Sunday 27th September 2026 at the joint screening point, Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport ahead of his Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy. A thorough search by NDLEA operatives led to the recovery of 16 parcels of white powdery substance hidden in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes, plus 195 wraps of same substance concealed in the railings of four travelling bags. The substances tested positive for cocaine, with a combined weight of 4.80kg.
During interview, the suspect claimed he paid N16 million in cash for the cocaine in the shoes, while the consignment in the bags was meant for delivery to his partner in Italy. He said he raised the money from compensation paid him for an injury at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, in which he lost the tips of two fingers.
NDLEA operatives at the Apapa, Tincan Island and Onne seaports have intercepted container consignments of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis and codeine-based syrup worth over N5 billion, following months of intelligence and tracking the movement of the shipments from their 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 with men of Customs and other stakeholders. A search of one of the containers on Saturday 3rd September yielded 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg, worth N372,000,000, concealed in two refrigerators and two cartons.
At the Onne port in Rivers state, two containers watch-listed by NDLEA based on processed intelligence were subjected to joint examination with Customs and other security agencies, during which 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg were found hidden in a travelling bag and three of five vehicles (Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra) shipped in one of the containers, while the second container held 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg. The container had left India to Saudi Arabia where the history of its origin was deleted, to avoid being targeted. The codeine and Loud consignments have a combined street value of N833,200,000.
At the Tincan Island port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Tuesday 29th September conducted a joint examination of a watch-listed container from Montreal, Canada with Customs and other stakeholders. As a result, a total of 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg, concealed in a Toyota Sienna and a Hyundai Elantra, with 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags in the container. The consignment was worth over N3.8 billion in street value.
A total of 20,234 kilograms of skunk were destroyed on 8.0936 hectares of cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State on Wednesday 30th September by NDLEA operatives, while a suspect Agbo Dennis, 41, was arrested on Tuesday 29th September 2026 at the West of Mines area of Jos North, Plateau State, following the seizure of 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.
