(NDLEA) has successfully intercepted a shipment of cocaine concealed

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully intercepted a shipment of cocaine concealed within 20 sets of religious books intended for delivery to Saudi Arabia. The agency reported that the illegal substance was discovered during a routine inspection of outbound cargo by its officers.

According to a statement from NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the consignment was found on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, containing 20 packages of cocaine with a total weight of 500 grams. "The cocaine was meticulously hidden inside the pages of the religious books at a courier facility in Lagos," Babafemi explained. This operation was executed by personnel from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) as they screened export packages bound for Saudi Arabia. Babafemi highlighted the cunning nature of the concealment, as the books appeared to be innocuous religious texts. In a separate operation on the same day at another courier service, NDLEA operatives also seized five parcels of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 2.8 kilograms, hidden in a carton from the United States. Ongoing Efforts to Combat Drug Trafficking: The NDLEA emphasized that these discoveries form part of their ongoing efforts to intercept illegal drug shipments and thwart traffickers attempting to exploit courier services for cross-border drug smuggling. Investigations into the consignments are still active. In Kano, a 22-year-old named Muhammad Mohammed, who allegedly supplied illegal substances to bandits, was arrested by NDLEA operatives while patrolling along the Bichi-Kano road.

He was caught carrying 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection strapped to his thigh and private parts with Cello tape on April 13. Another suspect, Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, 43, was apprehended the same day in Nasarawa, Kano, with 68 blocks of skunk, a cannabis strain weighing 30 kg. On April 15, NDLEA officers at yet another courier company in Lagos intercepted five parcels of Loud, weighing 2.8 kilograms, hidden in a carton shipped from the United States. Significant Drug Busts in Bayelsa and Lagos: Babafemi also reported major drug seizures in Bayelsa State, where NDLEA operatives recovered 557.2 kg of skunk, 5.6 kg of methamphetamine, and 29.8 grams of heroin from a residence on Major General Isaiah Alison Street, Opolo.

Four suspects were arrested during the operation on April 16, including Sarimiye Suwa Kurtis, 46; Roland Prosper, 34; Sarimiye Tare Paul, 45; and Fidelis Ugbesla, 46. In Lagos, officers seized 1,100 kilograms of skunk from a delivery van on April 17, apprehending the driver, Ismail Abdullahi, in the Surulere area. Additionally, in Kaduna, NDLEA operatives raided the home of a suspect, Ike Ani, 30, recovering 31,950 pills of tramadol (225 mg) and diazepam on April 18. Meanwhile, NDLEA's War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign continues with educational lectures being conducted in schools, workplaces, and religious centers nationwide.