The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has reported the interception of multiple drug shipments and the arrest of several individuals involved in trafficking networks across the country in a series of operations over the past week.

According to a statement released on Sunday by NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation intercepted two consignments of cocaine hidden inside consumer goods intended for export through a courier company in Lagos.

The seizures included 420 grams of cocaine concealed in 84 female lipsticks destined for the United Kingdom and 280 grams hidden inside a Certificate of Occupancy being shipped to Saudi Arabia.

In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives arrested a suspected drug trafficker, Ajetsibo Emami, also known as “Warri Kinsman,” following a three-day surveillance exercise that dismantled his alleged distribution network.

The operation led to the confiscation of 24 jumbo bags containing 681 pouches of “Canadian Loud,” a variant of cannabis weighing over 414 kilograms. The agency said the seizure was made as the shipment was being moved from Ikeja to Lekki for further distribution.

Further investigations in Lagos also led to the detention of businessman Ajah Johnson Uchenna, his wife Rosemary, their daughters Stella and Ngozi, and a family friend, Okoro Elijah. The agency said the five suspects are linked to a major illicit drug distribution ring.

Initial arrests by the Department of State Services (DSS) led to the discovery of 277.5 kilograms of cannabis. A subsequent raid on the family’s premises yielded an additional 231 kilograms, with members of the family allegedly continuing the business in the couple’s absence.

At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, a frequent traveller, Aburemi Hysent, was apprehended with 7,660 pills of Tramadol hidden inside food items he was transporting to Italy. He reportedly told investigators he was promised €800 for the delivery.

Also at the Lagos airport, NDLEA agents intercepted 52 pieces of travellers’ cheques worth 17.7 million Australian dollars concealed inside children’s books. The shipment, en route to Malaysia via Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight, was linked to a freight agent, Bolarinwa Saheed, who is now in custody. The cheques have been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.

Additional enforcement actions were reported in several states: at Seme border in Lagos, 718 balls of cannabis weighing 359 kilograms were recovered from a store; on the Okene-Lokoja highway, NDLEA intercepted 10,000 pills of Tramadol and Co-codamol, along with over 1kg of synthetic cannabis. Follow-up operations led to the arrest of Chinedu Odo, Samuel Ogbonna, and Kingsley Ugaji in Abuja.

In Osun State, three different operations led to the recovery of large quantities of opioids, including over 48,000 pills from a medicine store in Ile-Ife and additional seizures from a vulcaniser’s workshop in Osogbo.

A large cannabis farmland spanning over 9.6 hectares was destroyed at Oke-Ila forest in Osun, with seven suspects apprehended at the site.

In Borno and Kano, a total of 619 kilograms of cannabis were seized, while arrests were also made along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway and in states including Sokoto, Kebbi, Taraba, Edo, and Cross River.

One of the older suspects taken into custody was 78-year-old Mike Abeng, arrested in Cross River with over 14kg of skunk and Tramadol.

NDLEA also noted its continued public sensitisation under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative. Lectures and community awareness activities were held in schools and communities across Lagos, Enugu, Katsina, and Borno States during the week.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the agency’s personnel for their “balanced approach to supply and demand reduction,” praising their vigilance and coordination across multiple commands.

He reiterated the agency’s focus on strengthening interdiction and public awareness to combat the nation’s drug trafficking challenges.