NDLEA Intercepts Drug Consignments Packaged as Green Tea at Lagos Airport, Arrests Two Ladies with 108kg Illicit Substances in Edo

NDLEA Intercepts Drug Consignments Packaged as Green Tea at Lagos Airport, Arrests Two Ladies with 108kg Illicit Substances in Edo

LAGOS – Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a drug consignment disguised as green tea at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. The seizure, made on Thursday, June 5, 2025, followed credible intelligence received prior to the consignment’s arrival at the airport’s cargo shed on May 11.

The illicit shipment, which contained 66 parcels of Loud, a potent cannabis strain, weighed a total of 62.20kg. It was smuggled into the country from Thailand via the United Arab Emirates on an Emirates Airlines flight and concealed in green tea wraps. NDLEA had placed the package on surveillance for over three weeks before a joint examination was conducted with other stakeholders.

In a separate operation on Monday, June 2, NDLEA operatives seized 1,665kg of skunk along the Lekki-Ajah Expressway in Lagos. Two suspects, identified as Gidado Abdulrasaq Ayinde and Obanla Oluwafemi, were arrested in connection with the haul.

In Kaduna State, NDLEA personnel on patrol along the Abuja–Kaduna expressway on Tuesday, June 3, apprehended 29-year-old Goodluck Nnaemeka with 612 bottles of codeine-based syrup and 2,970 pills of flunitrazepam. On the same day, a notorious drug dealer, 52-year-old Kabiru Musa, also known as KB, was arrested in the Kurmin Mashi area of the state. Authorities had previously recovered 25.7kg of skunk from his hideout.

Still in Edo State, operatives recovered 9kg of Loud hidden in the spare tyre compartment of an Audi station wagon with registration number AAA 975 XU along Auchi Road. The driver, identified as 45-year-old Atari Israel, was taken into custody.

Additionally, two young women, Favour Joy and Joy Igwe, were arrested on June 3 at Ikpoba Hill, Benin City, with a combined haul of illicit drugs. The substances recovered from them included 106.57kg of skunk, 1kg of Loud, 800 grams of Colorado, and 302 grams of methamphetamine.

WADA Sensitization Activities Across Nigeria

Meanwhile, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy campaigns across the country during the past week. Some highlights include sensitization lectures for students and staff of:

Sir Usman Nagogo College of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Katsina

Fountain of Knowledge International Academy, Abakaliki, Ebonyi

Prof. Eyo Ita Municipal Model Primary School, Calabar, Cross River

Millennium High School, Egbeda, Lagos

Community Secondary School, Ichida Anaocha, Anambra

The Zone 13 Command of the agency also paid an advocacy visit to the Amayanabo of Nembe Kingdom, Dr. Edmund Dakoru (Mingi XII), in Bayelsa State, as part of its ongoing community engagement efforts.

NDLEA Leadership Applauds Commands Nationwide

Reacting to the week’s successes, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers of the Lagos MMIA, Kaduna, and Edo Commands for their operational excellence. He also acknowledged the efforts of NDLEA personnel across the nation for maintaining a balanced approach between drug supply reduction and demand reduction.

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Femi Babafemi

Director, Media & Advocacy

NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja

Sunday, June 8, 2025