Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a shipment containing 66 parcels of Loud, a high-grade strain of cannabis, cleverly concealed as green tea at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos.
The seizure, which took place on Thursday, June 5, was disclosed in a statement on Sunday by the NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi. He said the parcel, weighing a total of 62.2 kilograms, was recovered at the import section of the airport.
According to the agency, the illegal consignment originated from Thailand and was brought into Nigeria via an Emirates Airlines flight that transited through the United Arab Emirates. NDLEA officers placed the shipment on a watch list following credible intelligence and surveillance that began after its arrival on May 11. It was eventually seized during a joint inspection.
In a separate operation along the Lekki-Ajah corridor on Monday, June 2, the agency recovered 1,665 kilograms of skunk, another variant of cannabis, leading to the arrest of two suspects.
Further drug enforcement activities were carried out in Kaduna State, where NDLEA personnel arrested a 29-year-old man along the Abuja–Kaduna highway on June 3. The suspect was found in possession of 612 bottles of codeine-based syrup and 2,970 tablets of flunitrazepam.
On the same day, NDLEA operatives arrested a 52-year-old suspected trafficker in the Kurmin Mashi area of Kaduna, seizing 25.7 kilograms of skunk from his residence.
In Edo State, officials intercepted an Audi station wagon along the Auchi road, where 9 kilograms of Loud were discovered hidden inside the vehicle’s spare tyre compartment. The 45-year-old driver was taken into custody.
Also in Benin City, two women were arrested on June 3 in the Ikpoba Hill area with various illicit substances. The items recovered included 106.57 kilograms of skunk, 1 kilogram of Loud, 800 grams of Colorado (another form of cannabis), and 302 grams of methamphetamine.
In addition to enforcement operations, the NDLEA continued its advocacy under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign. Public awareness activities included educational outreach at schools such as Sir Usman Nagogo College of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Katsina, Fountain of Knowledge International Academy in Ebonyi, and other institutions in Lagos, Anambra, and Cross River States.
As part of the campaign, officials from NDLEA Zone 13 also visited the palace of Dr. Edmund Dakoru, the traditional ruler of the Nembe Kingdom in Bayelsa State.
NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (Retired), praised officers across Lagos, Kaduna, Edo, and other state commands for their consistent efforts in combating drug trafficking and abuse across the country.
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