The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives intercepted large consignments of opioids, cannabis, and methamphetamine. at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja and a courier firm in Lagos.

These drugs were cleverly concealed in everyday items such as body cream containers, winter jackets, and even carton walls.

According to a statement signed by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, two suspects bound for Italy were arrested in separate operations.

One of them, Friday Ehianuka, was intercepted while trying to board a flight to Rome with thousands of tramadol pills hidden inside containers of skin-lightening cream.

In his statement, he admitted he was promised payment in euros if the drugs made it to Italy, a detail that highlights the international reach and financial incentives behind these trafficking networks.

Just days earlier, another suspect, Christian Agbonhese, was caught attempting to board a flight to Milan.

A search of his luggage revealed a staggering haul: over 28,000 pills of tramadol and tapentadol, carefully concealed in winter jackets.

The airport interceptions were only part of a wider crackdown. At a Lagos courier facility, NDLEA officers uncovered a parcel containing a potent strain of cannabis, known as “Loud,” shipped from the United States.

In the same operation, they foiled an attempt to export methamphetamine hidden within carton walls to New Zealand.

In Kano, two suspects were arrested with nearly 200 kilograms of skunk. In Lagos, operatives raided a storage facility in the Ijora area, recovering over 21,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup, an increasingly abused substance.

Two additional suspects were arrested on the Third Mainland Bridge while transporting thousands more bottles.

In Edo State, officers discovered nearly 100 kilograms of skunk hidden in a residential building, while in Abuja, a commercial bus was intercepted along the Gwagwalada expressway with over 91,000 tramadol pills concealed within its body panels. The driver was immediately taken into custody.

The pattern continued in Oyo, Kaduna, and Taraba states, where arrests and seizures revealed the scale of the trade. In one of the largest busts, NDLEA operatives recovered more than half a million pills of tramadol and other opioids along the Kaduna-Zaria highway. Another suspect was intercepted in Taraba while transporting tens of thousands of tramadol capsules.

In Adamawa, a coordinated follow-up operation led to the arrest of six individuals linked to an 82.8kg tramadol shipment discovered in a truck in Yola, underscoring the agency’s intelligence-driven approach.

Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA is also intensifying its prevention efforts. Through its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, the agency has been engaging students, teachers, and community members across several states, raising awareness about the dangers of drug abuse.

Chairman of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the operations and urged continued vigilance.

He emphasised the need for a balanced strategy that combines aggressive enforcement with sustained public education. (Channels TV, but headline reworked)

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