In this article
- Milan-Bound Businessman Arrested With 4.8kg Cocaine
- ₦3.8bn Canadian Loud Shipment Intercepted at Tincan
- Apapa Port: Thai Loud Worth ₦372m Found in Refrigerators
- Onne Port: 16,440kg of Codeine Syrup Intercepted
- The Bigger Picture: NDLEA Operations Spread Across Several States
- Methamphetamine Seized on Lagos-Abuja Route
- Other Arrests in Plateau and Edo
- Six Years After Jumping Bail, Suspect Arrested
- Why the Latest Seizures Matter
- NDLEA Says Enforcement Will Continue
- What Happens Next?
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted drug consignments valued at more than ₦5 billion at major Nigerian seaports and arrested a businessman allegedly attempting to smuggle 4.80 kilogrammes of cocaine to Italy.
The latest operation involved large consignments of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, and codeine-based cough syrupintercepted at the Apapa and Tincan Island ports in Lagos and the Onne Port in Rivers State.
The NDLEA said the seizures followed intelligence gathering and the tracking of suspicious shipments from their countries of origin.
The agency also reported separate drug seizures and arrests in Lagos, Osun, Kogi, Edo and Plateau states, highlighting the scale of its latest nationwide crackdown.
Milan-Bound Businessman Arrested With 4.8kg Cocaine
One of the major arrests happened on September 27, 2026, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
NDLEA operatives arrested 38-year-old Philip Tunde at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 as he prepared to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.
According to the agency, officers found 16 parcels of cocaine hidden inside the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes.
Another 195 wraps of cocaine were allegedly concealed inside the railings of four travelling bags.
The total weight was put at 4.80kg.
During questioning, the suspect allegedly told investigators that he paid ₦16 million in cash for the cocaine hidden in the shoes. He reportedly said the other consignment was intended for delivery to a partner in Italy.
The NDLEA also said Tunde claimed he raised the money from compensation he received after suffering an industrial injury while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, where he lost the tips of two fingers. These are allegations reported by the agency and have not been independently tested in court.
₦3.8bn Canadian Loud Shipment Intercepted at Tincan
At the Tincan Island Port in Lagos, NDLEA officers intercepted a container shipped from Montreal, Canada, on September 29.
The container contained 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud, weighing approximately 1,297.5kg.
The agency said the drugs were concealed inside a Toyota Sienna and a Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags.
NDLEA valued the consignment at more than ₦3.8 billion in street value.
The size of the shipment makes the Tincan seizure one of the biggest components of the latest port operation.
Apapa Port: Thai Loud Worth ₦372m Found in Refrigerators
At the Apapa Port, NDLEA operatives working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies searched containers flagged through intelligence.
Officers found 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg inside two refrigerators and two cartons.
The shipment had arrived from Bangkok, Thailand, and the agency put its street value at ₦372 million.
The concealment method shows how traffickers can use ordinary household and commercial items to hide illicit consignments during international transportation.
Onne Port: 16,440kg of Codeine Syrup Intercepted
At the Onne Port in Rivers State, NDLEA officers and other security agencies jointly examined two containers that had been placed on the agency’s watchlist.
One container contained 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg, hidden in a travelling bag and three vehicles.
The second contained 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup, with a combined weight of 16,440kg.
The NDLEA said the codeine shipment had travelled from India to Saudi Arabia, where information about its origin was allegedly deleted before the container was shipped onward.
The agency put the combined street value of the Loud and codeine consignments recovered at Onne at ₦833.2 million.
The Bigger Picture: NDLEA Operations Spread Across Several States
The port seizures were only part of the agency’s latest operations.
In Osun State, NDLEA officers destroyed 20,234kg of skunk cultivated on an 8.0936-hectare cannabis farm in Area 4 of Ife South Local Government Area.
In Lagos, officers recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol from an unoccupied compound in Ago Palace.
A follow-up operation at Ladipo Spare Parts Market also led to the arrest of a 23-year-old suspect following the recovery of 61 grammes of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis strain, and 24 grammes of methamphetamine allegedly concealed inside a bottle of an energy drink and sent as a waybill package through a commercial bus.
Methamphetamine Seized on Lagos-Abuja Route
In Kogi State, NDLEA officers intercepted a Lagos-Abuja commuter bus along the Okene-Lokoja highway.
The officers reportedly found two sachets containing 1kg of methamphetamine concealed in a waybill package.
A follow-up investigation led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, a 29-year-old suspect, in Utako, Abuja.
Other Arrests in Plateau and Edo
In Plateau State, NDLEA officers arrested a 41-year-old suspect in the West of Mines area of Jos North after recovering 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.
In Edo State, officers raided a suspect’s residence in Ovia North-East Local Government Area and recovered 32.2kg of cannabis sativa.
Another 23-year-old suspect was arrested at Auchi Bypass in Benin City with several substances, including:
- 59 grammes of Loud
- 12 grammes of Colorado
- 19 grammes of tramadol
- 16 grammes of methamphetamine
- 4 grammes of Swinol
- 4 grammes of Molly
The seizures and arrests remain subject to the relevant legal processes.
Six Years After Jumping Bail, Suspect Arrested
The NDLEA also announced the arrest of a 47-year-old fugitive, Idris Mohammed Kurra, who it said had been wanted for six years.
According to the agency, Kurra was facing trial at the Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau State, over alleged possession and dealing in 198kg of skunk.
The NDLEA said he jumped bail in December 2020 and remained at large until his arrest on September 29, 2026.
Why the Latest Seizures Matter
The latest operation shows that drug trafficking networks continue to use several channels to move illicit substances into and out of Nigeria.
The seizures involved international shipping containers, commercial buses, travelling bags, vehicles and even shoes, suggesting that enforcement efforts must cover airports, seaports, roads and local distribution networks.
The scale of the port seizures is also significant. The NDLEA’s reported valuations run into billions of naira, while the quantities involved include more than 16 tonnes of codeine-based syrup and over 1.2 tonnes of Canadian Loud in just two of the major seizures.
At the same time, the agency’s operations in Osun and other states show that the crackdown is not limited to imported drugs. Domestic cultivation, storage and distribution also remain targets.
NDLEA Says Enforcement Will Continue
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), commended officers involved in the operations.
He urged them to sustain intelligence-led efforts against drug trafficking networks.
Marwa also called for the continuation of the agency’s combined approach to drug control, which includes enforcement, prevention and public sensitisation.
The NDLEA said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) programmes also continued during the period, with awareness activities held in schools, religious centres, workplaces and communities.
What Happens Next?
The major question now is what further investigations will reveal about the people behind the intercepted consignments.
For the Milan-bound cocaine case, the arrested suspect is expected to face the appropriate legal process. At the ports, the NDLEA and its partner agencies will continue tracing the shipments, their intended recipients and the networks responsible for importing the drugs.
The latest seizures also underline why Nigerian authorities continue to rely on intelligence sharing between the NDLEA, Customs and other security agencies to identify suspicious cargo before it reaches the wider market.
Important: The seizure figures, street values, concealment methods and allegations against suspects in this report are based primarily on information released by the NDLEA. The agency’s allegations against arrested persons remain subject to investigation and due process.
