NDLEA arrests dozens, seizes tonnes of drugs in nationwide crackdown
NDLEA arrested convicted cocaine trafficker Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu in Lagos on September 4 after he allegedly tried to ship 1.2kg cocaine to Saudi Arabia via phone chargers. The same day, agents intercepted a 20,000-litre fuel tanker (MKA 960 XC) on the Akoko-Lokoja Expressway in Ondo State, finding a hidden compartment with 2,145kg of cannabis. Across the country, NDLEA seized over 966,000 tramadol tablets worth ₦1.1bn at Lagos airport, 57.8kg of potent cannabis from Singapore-bound gloves, and nearly 600kg of cannabis-infused cookies at Tincan Port. Additional raids yielded hundreds of kilograms of skunk, methamphetamine, opioids and other psychotropics in states including Adamawa, Bauchi, Ekiti, Enugu, Kaduna, Kogi, Taraba and others, with suspects arrested for trafficking, cultivation and transport.
These operations reveal how traffickers conceal drugs in legitimate goods—herbal tea fronts, fuel tankers, thrift clothing and gloves—and operate across state lines, threatening public health and security. NDLEA Chairman Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa praised the intelligence-led approach and warned that identity changes or legitimate business covers will not evade detection.
With traffickers using everyday items to move drugs, what signs should you look for in your neighbourhood, and how would you report suspicious shipments or businesses to NDLEA?