NDLEA Intercepts Cocaine, Opioids Hidden In Carton Walls; Bullets, Destroys 65,000kg Skunk

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of cocaine and opioids concealed within carton walls, as part of a series of coordinated operations across multiple states.

The agency said the illicit shipments, bound for the United Kingdom and Australia, were uncovered at a Lagos-based courier facility on Friday, 15 May 2026, during routine cargo examination.

NDLEA officers recovered 170 grammes of cocaine, carefully sealed in cellophane and hidden within the walls of a carton containing clothing destined for Australia.

In a separate consignment heading to the UK, operatives discovered a range of opioids, including 200 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 1,100 capsules of tramadol, and 100 ampoules of promethazine injection, similarly concealed.

In Delta State, large-scale anti-narcotics operations led to the destruction of cannabis farms in Ukwuani and Ughelli North Local Government Areas.

Raids conducted between 10 and 12 May resulted in the destruction of 65,000 kilogrammes of skunk across 26 hectares of farmland, with additional quantities recovered.

Two suspects, Ifeanyichukwu Peter, 52, and Godwin Vincent Osadera, 30, were arrested in follow-up operations.

In Kaduna State, NDLEA operatives intercepted 1,989 rounds of military-grade ammunition along the Abuja–Kaduna highway on 12 May.

The ammunition, identified as 7.62mm rounds, was concealed in sacks of cassava granules, commonly known as garri. A suspect, Abdullahi Hassan, 35, was arrested and later handed over, along with the recovered items, to another security agency for further investigation.

A separate raid in Zaria led to the recovery of 361 kilogrammes of skunk and the arrest of a 42-year-old suspect, Husaini Suleiman.

In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, operatives arrested a 29-year-old businessman, Ogadi Peter, accused of producing drug-laced cakes and cookies for social events.

He was apprehended at his residence in Life Camp, where 800 grammes of skunk and 2.7 kilogrammes of drug-infused baked goods were recovered.

Elsewhere, NDLEA operations continued to yield significant seizures. In Ogun State, 181 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered during a raid in Ogere, while in Taraba State, a suspect was arrested with 105,850 pills of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam, along the Zaki-Biam road in Wukari Local Government Area.

In Oyo State, two suspects were arrested in Saki with 99 litres of “skuchies,” a locally brewed psychoactive mixture, while in Edo State, 1,388.4 kilogrammes of skunk were destroyed on farms in Orhionmwon Local Government Area.

Further seizures were recorded in Kano State, where tramadol pills weighing 1.2 kilogrammes were discovered concealed in a 25-litre container of palm oil at Kofar Ruwa motor park. Another suspect was arrested with 30.5 kilogrammes of skunk in the Sabuwar Sharada area.

The agency also sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign, conducting sensitisation programmes in schools across Oyo, Niger, Lagos, Katsina, Ekiti and Kano states.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers across the affected commands for maintaining a balance between drug supply reduction and demand reduction efforts nationwide.

The latest operations underscore the agency’s ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking networks and its broader strategy to curb substance abuse across the country.