NDLEA Uncovers International Drug Smuggling Rings Concealing Illicit Substances in Frozen Snails and Electrical Bulbs

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted several consignments of illicit drugs disguised as harmless goods bound for the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The operations, carried out at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) and a courier company in Lagos, revealed inventive yet desperate attempts by traffickers to evade detection.

According to the NDLEA, one of the suspects, Boladale Riliwan, a cargo agent, was arrested on October 7, 2025, after operatives discovered 15 parcels of skunk (a potent strain of cannabis) hidden inside ten giant rechargeable electrical bulbs. The package, cleverly sealed in a carton, was set to be air-freighted to the DRC.

Another suspect, Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, a 48-year-old UK-based Public Health Assistant, was apprehended on October 12 at MMIA’s Terminal 2 while attempting to travel to Manchester. NDLEA officials discovered 2,300 tramadol pills (225mg) concealed inside frozen snails in her luggage. A separate operation at a Lagos courier service on October 16 uncovered 810 bromazepam tablets hidden in female clothing destined for the United States.

Nationwide Crackdown: From Adamawa to Ondo and Ekiti Forests

In a related operation in Adamawa State, NDLEA officers arrested Bello Buba at a checkpoint in Namtari, Yola South, with 38,270 tramadol tablets ingeniously concealed inside the spare tyre, boot, and door compartments of a Honda Civic. Investigations revealed the drugs originated from Benin Republic, marking another cross-border trafficking attempt thwarted by the agency.

Meanwhile, NDLEA’s operations extended into forest areas of Ekiti and Ondo States, where vast cannabis plantations were destroyed. A total of 53,250 kilograms of skunk were uprooted from 21.3 hectares of farmland in Ilawe Ekiti, with an additional 1,140 kilograms seized in nearby communities. Three suspects—Matthew Emmanuel (26), James Moses (27), and Israel Samuel (20)—were arrested during the operation. Similarly, another 17,400 kilograms of cannabis were destroyed in Aponmu Forest Reserve, Akure, in Ondo State.

NDLEA Expanding Anti-Drug Efforts and Public Sensitization

The agency’s crackdown extended across Oyo, Ogun, Enugu, Imo, and Lagos States, with multiple seizures and arrests. In Oyo, NDLEA officers confiscated nearly 869 kilograms of skunk, while in Ogun, 88 kilograms were recovered from Ona–Imeko, and another 13,000 pills of opioids were intercepted along the Onitsha–Owerri road in Imo. In Lagos, 117 kilograms of cannabis were seized from a suspect’s base in Mushin, and a joint NDLEA–Customs operation at Apapa Port led to the interception of 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup from India.

Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign intensified nationwide. Officers conducted advocacy lectures across schools, religious centres, and workplaces, including Commercial Grammar School (Ekiti), Government Technical College (Rivers), St. Peter’s College (Abeokuta), and St. Cyprian Special Science School (Nsukka). NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the operatives for their diligence and urged sustained vigilance, emphasizing the agency’s “balanced approach” to both law enforcement and prevention.

The NDLEA’s latest series of operations underline the agency’s expanding intelligence capacity and cross-border coordination in combating drug trafficking. As smugglers adopt more elaborate concealment methods, Nigeria’s drug enforcement apparatus appears equally determined to stay one step ahead.