NDLEA intercepts China, Italy-bound cocaine concealed in mortar, backpack
NDLEA Intercepts Cocaine Shipments, Arrests Multiple Suspects
LAGOS — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized cocaine concealed within a local mortar and in the bottom of a backpack intended for shipment to China and Italy, respectively. The narcotics were intercepted by agency operatives during operations in Lagos.
Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy for NDLEA, announced the seizures in a statement on Sunday. Operatives from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations (DOGI) conducted the operations on Thursday, recovering 250 grams of cocaine packaged inside a carton for export to China, while 500 grams were found hidden in the false bottom of a backpack destined for Italy.
In a separate operation in Rivers State, authorities arrested a 38-year-old man, Ugo Gift Okonkwo, at Eagle Island, Port Harcourt. Following intelligence reports, he was apprehended with a variety of illicit drugs, including cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, swinol, tramadol, and codeine syrup on July 26.
On the same day, NDLEA officers in Anambra State stopped a truck marked XK 131 BDG at the DMGS Roundabout in Onitsha, seizing 26,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 3,960 kilograms. The driver, Chinedu Nwanze, 40, was also arrested.
Additionally, operatives recovered 331.84 kilograms of skunk from a Toyota Sienna bus on the Kwale-Ughelli Expressway in Delta State. In Nasarawa State, a 64-year-old man, Joseph Nwaeke, was apprehended on July 28 with 68 kilograms of skunk and 29 grams of methamphetamine in the Karu area.
In Zamfara State, NDLEA personnel on patrol along the Zaria-Gusau highway arrested 27-year-old Sani Umar, who was found with 7,400 tablets of tramadol believed to be intended for criminal networks.
Babafemi highlighted that the agency continues its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, which includes sensitization activities across schools, places of worship, and workplaces nationwide. Recent lectures were held for students and staff at various institutions, including Hausawa Special Primary School in Kano and Royal Crown School in Ibadan.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) praised the agency’s operatives for their successful operations and emphasized the importance of cohesive strategies for reducing both drug supply and demand across Nigeria.
