Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a large consignment of cocaine concealed in the heads of imported stockfish.
The agency also arrested a key member of the syndicate involved in shipping the illicit substance worldwide, especially to India.
The dismantling of the drug syndicate followed intelligence on their trans-border criminal activities, leading to a well-coordinated sting operation by operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command of NDLEA in the Ojo area of Lagos on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
During the operation, three big bags were found in the possession of the kingpin, 36-year-old Akputa Dickson Ejike.
A search of the bags led to the recovery of 237 wraps of cocaine buried in the heads of dry stockfish.
The cocaine pellets, which had a gross weight of 5.80 kilogrammes,were intended for export to Delhi, India.
In another operation in Lagos, NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted two illicit consignments heading to the United Kingdom at a courier company on Wednesday, March 25.
One of the shipments, originating from Cotonou, Benin Republic, contained 1.9 kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in automobile filters, while the second parcel contained 40 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate and nine ampoules of Fentanyl.
In yet another major interdiction operation, operatives of a Special Operations Unit (SOU) of the agency, raided the house of a female head of a notorious drug syndicate, 46-year-old Omolade Jolayemi, at 13, Carter Street, Yaba, Lagos. They arrested her and her sales girl, Sarah Agbabiaka, 31, and no fewer than 135 blocks of Ghana Loud, a strain of cannabis, weighing 76.30kg.
Omolade, popularly known as Iya Ghana, trades in local fabric on the surface but runs a drug distribution network between Nigeria and Ghana.
On the same day, the SOU operatives arrested Anayo Ohabiro, 39, at Doyin bus stop, Surulere, Lagos, following credible intelligence. They seized 78 blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 41kg from him.
In Ekiti State, an 80-year-old grandfather, Oke Samuel, was arrested by NDLEA operatives during a special raid at Mosafuneto camp, Erinmo Road, Efon-Alaaye Ekiti, on Thursday, March 26.
A total of 2.2kg skunk and 1.8g of methamphetamine were recovered from him, while 894.72kg of the same psychoactive substance was seized from another suspect, Kingsley Enuwa, 37, when an uncompleted building was raided by NDLEA officers at Ogbese, Akure North area of Ondo State on the same day.
About 116.7kg of skunk was recovered from a suspect, Saater Nyam, 35, during a raid on Pevi village, Guma Local Council, Benue State, on Tuesday, March 24.
In Edo State, operatives uncovered a warehouse in Ekpoma town, Esan West Local Council, leading to the arrest of Felix Donald, 25, and the seizure of 576.5kg of skunk and 33 bottles of codeine-based syrup on Monday, March 23,
In Taraba State, NDLEA officers, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted a truck marked DUT 457 ZB, conveying 100 blocks of compressed skunk weighing 135kg concealed in bags of animal feed from Garbachede to Gombe State on Tuesday, March 24.
Two suspects; Osama Mamuda, 21, and Auwal Umar, 22, were nabbed in connection with the seizure.
The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands also continued across the country in the past week.
Meanwhile, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers and men of MMIA, SOU, DOGI, Ekiti, Ondo, Benue, Edo and Taraba commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week.
He also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for maintaining a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
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