NDLEA Seizes N5bn Drugs at Ports, Arrests Businessman Heading to Milan

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted container loads of Loud, a strong type of cannabis, and codeine-based syrup valued at over N5 billion.

The agency said that its operatives at the Apapa, Tin Can Island, and Onne seaports made these arrests after months of gathering intelligence and tracking the shipments from their original ports.

In a statement on Sunday, NDLEA Director for Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said a search of one container found 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg, worth N372 million, hidden in two refrigerators and two cartons at the Apapa port.

At Tin Can Island, operatives recovered 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg. At the Onne port, they found 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg and 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg. The total street value of these drugs is N833.2 million.

The statement explained, “At the Apapa port in Lagos, NDLEA officers acted on intelligence and examined two containers from Bangkok, Thailand. A search on Saturday, 3rd September, found 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg, worth N372,000,000, hidden in two refrigerators and two cartons.

“At the Tin Can Island port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives conducted a joint examination of a watch-listed container from Montreal, Canada, with Customs and other stakeholders on Tuesday, 29th September. This search revealed 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg hidden in a Toyota Sienna and a Hyundai Elantra, along with 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags in the container. The street value of this consignment is over N3.8 billion.

“At the Onne port in Rivers State, two containers were examined based on NDLEA's intelligence with Customs and security agencies. They found 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg hidden in a travelling bag and three out of five vehicles (Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla, and Hyundai Elantra) in one container. The second container held 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg. This container left India for Saudi Arabia, where its history was erased to avoid detection. The total street value of the codeine and Loud drugs is N833,200,000.”

In another case, the anti-narcotics agency reported that its operatives arrested a businessman heading to Milan, Philip Tunde, with 4.80 kilograms of cocaine hidden in the soles of his shoes and the railings of his travel bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

Tunde, 28, was arrested on Sunday, September 27, 2026, “at the joint screening point, Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport as he was about to board his Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.

“After a thorough search by NDLEA operatives, they found 16 parcels of white powdery substance hidden in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes, plus 195 wraps of the same substance concealed in the railings of four travelling bags. The substances tested positive for cocaine, with a total weight of 4.80kg.”

The agency noted that during questioning, Tunde “claimed he paid N16 million in cash for the cocaine in the shoes, while the drugs in the bags were meant for delivery to his partner in Italy. He said he got the money from compensation for an injury at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, where he lost the tips of two fingers.”

Brig-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, praised the operatives for their successful operations and called for continued efforts against drug trafficking networks.