Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 55-year-old Lagos businessman, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 3.3 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside cartons of food items meant for export to the United Kingdom.
The suspect, a clothing trader at Balogun Market on Lagos Island, was apprehended after NDLEA officers intercepted the shipment at the export section of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. Investigators traced the consignment through a network of cargo handlers before identifying Chinedu as the alleged mastermind.
According to the agency, three cargo agents and another suspect linked to the shipment were initially arrested during the investigation. Their statements reportedly led operatives to Chinedu, who was later arrested while allegedly preparing another cocaine shipment for the UK.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers arrested a 31-year-old entrepreneur in Surulere, Lagos, after intercepting a 2.8kg consignment of synthetic cannabis, popularly known as “Loud,” which had arrived from the United States.
The agency also announced the seizure of more than 2.24 million pills of Tapentadol 250mg, valued at over ₦2.2 billion, from a shipment that arrived from India at the Lagos airport.
At the Apapa Seaport, officials uncovered 4,777 sachets of Canadian Loud weighing about 2,388.5kg, with an estimated street value exceeding ₦7.1 billion. The drugs were allegedly hidden inside three vehicles packed in a shipping container.
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Elsewhere, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects in Katsina State with hundreds of rounds of ammunition concealed during separate operations. The suspects and recovered ammunition have been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.
In Edo State, officers also raided a warehouse where they recovered more than 1,200kg of cannabis and cannabis seeds, while two additional suspects were arrested with large quantities of skunk.
The NDLEA said the operations highlight its continued efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks and prevent illicit substances from entering or leaving the country.
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