Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered multiple attempts to smuggle illicit drugs out of Nigeria using unusual concealment methods, including frozen snails, electrical bulbs, and women’s clothing.
The interceptions were made at Murtala Muhammed International Airport and at a courier facility in Lagos, targeting shipments heading to the United Kingdom, United States, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Two individuals have already been arrested in connection with the smuggling attempts.
On October 7, NDLEA officers apprehended Boladale Riliwan, a cargo agent, after 15 parcels of skunk (a potent strain of cannabis) were found hidden in 10 giant rechargeable electrical bulbs prepared for shipment to the DRC.
Just days later, on October 12, another suspect, Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, a 48-year-old UK-based Public Health Assistant, was arrested at Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport.
She was caught attempting to smuggle 2,300 tablets of Tramadol (225mg) cleverly concealed in frozen snails bound for Manchester.
On October 16, officers also thwarted an attempt to export 810 bromazepam pills to the United States, hidden among women’s clothes.
In a separate operation in Adamawa State, NDLEA personnel intercepted Bello Buba at a checkpoint in Yola South.
He was caught with 38,270 Tramadol tablets concealed in the spare tyre, boot, and door panels of his vehicle.
Investigations revealed the drugs had been trafficked from Benin Republic.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA has also intensified its crackdown on cannabis cultivation.
In Ekiti State, operatives destroyed 53,250 kilograms of skunk across 21.3 hectares of farmland in Ilawe-Ekiti, and recovered another 1,140 kilograms during raids in Ekiti and Ondo States.
Several young men between the ages of 20 and 27 were arrested in connection with the operation.
Additional seizures were made in Oyo, Ogun, Imo, and Enugu States, where various suspects were caught with large quantities of skunk and opioid tablets.
In Lagos, a Mushin-based suspect was arrested with 117 kilograms of skunk, while a significant haul of 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup from India was intercepted at Apapa Port during a joint inspection with Nigeria Customs Service.
NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), praised the efforts of officers involved in the operations and emphasized the need for sustained action across the country.
“The balanced approach to drug control must be sustained across all Commands,” he said.
In addition to enforcement, the agency continues its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, conducting awareness programmes in schools, workplaces, and communities across Nigeria.
