The NDLEA has successfully intercepted cocaine, opioids, and other illicit substances being smuggled to the US, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Italy, and the UAE, hidden in unusual items like prayer beads, board game packs, and clothing.
The drugs, including cocaine, tramadol, Loud, Molly, and skunk, were concealed in various shipments intended for international destinations via logistics firms and the Lagos airport. Operatives from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) thwarted these efforts.
According to a statement from NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, at least two suspects involved in some of the foiled attempts at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos, have been arrested. One of the suspects, a 43-year-old businesswoman named Jakpor Egware May, was apprehended on March 8, 2025, at Gate ‘C’ of the airport while attempting to board an Air France flight to Italy. During a search, 190 parcels of tramadol (225mg) and a parcel of skunk, a strain of cannabis, were found in her luggage. In her statement, she claimed to have purchased the drugs with the intention of selling them in Italy.
On March 11, NDLEA operatives arrested another suspect, 60-year-old Yahaya Fatai Ayinla, at the export shed of the Lagos airport while he attempted to ship a cargo containing clothes concealing 400 grams of skunk to New York, USA.
Further investigations at logistics companies in Lagos led to the interception of over two kilograms of Loud, Molly, and tramadol (365mg and 225mg), which were hidden in Vitamin C bottles and female clothing, destined for the US. Additionally, between March 10 and March 12, shipments containing 230 grams of cocaine, concealed in prayer beads, shoe soles, and board game packs, were intercepted on their way to Saudi Arabia, Poland, and the UAE.
