NDLEA uncovers drug syndicate concealing tramadol in frozen snails, bulbs, clothes

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted multiple consignments of illicit drugs concealed in frozen snails, electrical bulbs, and women’s clothing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, in a major operation targeting shipments bound for the United States, United Kingdom, and Democratic Republic of Congo.

In a statement issued on Sunday, NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said at least two suspects linked to the smuggling attempts have been arrested.

According to Babafemi, a cargo agent, Boladale Riliwan, was apprehended on 7 October 2025 after operatives discovered 15 parcels of cannabis (skunk) concealed inside ten giant rechargeable electrical bulbs he presented for export to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Similarly, a 48-year-old UK-based Public Health Assistant, identified as Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, was arrested on 12 October at the MMIA departure terminal for attempting to smuggle 2,300 pills of Tramadol 225mg hidden in frozen snails en route to Manchester aboard a Qatar Airways flight.

In a related development, NDLEA officers intercepted 810 pills of Bromazepam concealed in women’s clothing bound for the United States through a courier company in Lagos on 16 October.

The agency also recorded major busts across other states. In Adamawa, a suspect named Bello Buba was arrested at an NDLEA checkpoint in Namtari, Yola South LGA, with 38,270 Tramadol pills hidden inside a car’s spare tyre and door compartments. He was reportedly transporting the drugs from Benin Republic into Nigeria.

Further operations led to the destruction of 21.3 hectares of cannabis farms in Ilawe-Ekiti, Ekiti State, where 53,250 kilograms of skunk were destroyed and 1,140kg recovered during a two-day raid. The suspects — Matthew Emmanuel (26), James Moses (27), and Israel Samuel (20) — were arrested at the scene.

A similar raid in Aponmu Forest Reserve, Akure, Ondo State, resulted in the destruction of 17,400 kilograms of cannabis cultivated across 6.96 hectares.

In Oyo State, four suspects — Aliyu Muhammed (50), Babarinde Segun (32), Ogunbiyi Sanjo (30), and Ajani Oluro (30) — were arrested with 596kg of skunk at Apata-Ako, Igboora, while others were caught in Odo-Oyan, Igangan, with 273kg of the same substance.

In Ogun, Joseph Andrew was arrested with 88kg of cannabis, and another suspect, Festus Udoh (42), was caught on the Onitsha–Owerri Road with 13,000 opioid pills. In Enugu, NDLEA recovered 74.5kg of skunk from a warehouse at Umuogbo-Agu village linked to Joseph Chukwujama.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives seized 117kg of skunk from the base of a suspect, Ramoni Olukowi, in Mushin, and at Apapa Port, a joint operation with the Nigeria Customs Service led to the interception of 80,000 bottles of codeine syrup from a container shipped from India.

NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (Rtd.), commended officers in Lagos, Ekiti, Adamawa, Oyo, Enugu, Ogun, Ondo, and Imo for their vigilance and success in dismantling transnational drug networks.

He urged continued commitment to the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, which has seen advocacy outreaches to schools, religious institutions, and workplaces nationwide.

Marwa reiterated NDLEA’s determination to curb drug trafficking through “a balanced approach that combines enforcement with public education,” stressing that the agency remains relentless in protecting Nigeria from the dangers of narcotics.