The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted consignments of cocaine concealed inside a traditional local mortar and the false bottom of a backpack, preventing the illicit drugs from being shipped to China and Italy through a Lagos-based logistics company.
The agency disclosed that the seizures were carried out by operatives of its Directorate of Operations and General Investigations (DOGI) during coordinated operations on Thursday, July 30, 2026.
According to the NDLEA, officers uncovered 250 grams of cocaine professionally concealed inside the base of a locally made mortar packaged in a carton for export to China.
In a separate interception, another 500 grams of cocaine was discovered hidden inside the false compartment of a backpack prepared for shipment to Italy. The agency described both seizures as part of its intensified efforts to disrupt international drug trafficking networks using commercial logistics channels.
Beyond the Lagos operation, NDLEA operatives recorded additional breakthroughs in different parts of the country. In Rivers State, officers acting on credible intelligence arrested a 38-year-old suspected drug dealer, Ugo Gift Okonkwo, at Eagle Island, Port Harcourt.
The suspect was allegedly found in possession of cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, swinol, tramadol and codeine syrup during the operation carried out on Sunday, July 26.
Meanwhile, a stop-and-search exercise at the DMGS Roundabout in Onitsha, Anambra State, led to the interception of a truck bearing registration number XK 131 BDG loaded with 26,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing about 3,960 kilograms. The truck driver, identified as 40-year-old Chinedu Nwanze, was taken into custody.
In Delta State, NDLEA officers recovered 1.84 kilograms of skunk concealed inside a Toyota Sienna bus with registration number KUJ 26 DV along the Kwale-Ughelli Expressway during an operation conducted on July 26. Similarly, operatives in Nasarawa State arrested a 64-year-old suspect, Joseph Nwaeke, in the Asso Angwan Muazu area of Karu on July 28.
The agency said the suspect was found with 68 kilograms of skunk and 29 grams of methamphetamine. In Zamfara State, patrol teams intercepted 27-year-old Sani Umar along the Zaria-Gusau highway while allegedly transporting 7,400 tablets of tramadol 225mg believed to be intended for criminal groups.
Alongside enforcement operations, the agency said its Commands nationwide continued implementing the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through public enlightenment programmes.
The sensitisation activities reached schools, worship centres, transport parks, workplaces and communities across several states, including Hausawa Special Primary School in Kano, Royal Crown School in Ibadan, Government Secondary School in Ibi, Taraba State, and drivers at the Challenge Bus Terminal in Oyo State.
Commending the successful operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations as well as Commands in Rivers, Anambra, Delta, Nasarawa and Zamfara for their commitment.
He encouraged personnel across the country to sustain the agency’s balanced strategy of aggressive drug enforcement alongside continuous public education aimed at reducing drug abuse and trafficking nationwide.
