NDLEA uncovers drugs hidden in frozen snails, others bound for UK, US, DRC

NDLEA uncovers drugs hidden in frozen snails, others bound for UK, US, DRC

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has foiled several attempts to smuggle hard drugs cleverly concealed in frozen snails, electrical bulbs and women’s clothing, destined for the United States, the United Kingdom and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The operations, carried out at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and a courier company in Lagos, led to the arrest of two suspects.

One of the suspects, cargo agent Boladale Riliwan, was apprehended on October 7 after NDLEA operatives discovered 15 parcels of skunk — a potent strain of cannabis — hidden inside 10 giant rechargeable bulbs meant for export to the DRC.

Five days later, on October 12, Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot, a 48-year-old UK-based public health assistant, was intercepted at Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport while attempting to board a flight to Manchester. A search of her luggage revealed 2,300 tablets of tramadol (225mg) concealed in frozen snails.

A similar attempt was foiled on October 16 when 810 bromazepam tablets were discovered hidden inside women’s clothing intended for export to the United States.

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In a separate operation in Adamawa State, NDLEA officers arrested Bello Buba at a checkpoint in Yola South after finding 38,270 tramadol tablets concealed in the spare tyre, boot and door panels of his vehicle. The drugs were said to have been transported from the Benin Republic.

The agency also destroyed over 53,000 kilograms of cannabis cultivated on more than 21 hectares of farmland in Ekiti State. An additional 1,140 kilograms of cannabis were seized during operations in Ekiti and Ondo States, leading to multiple arrests of suspects aged between 20 and 27.

Further recoveries were made in Oyo, Ogun, Imo and Enugu States, where various suspects were caught with large quantities of skunk and opioids. In Lagos, NDLEA officers arrested a Mushin resident with 117 kilograms of skunk, while a joint operation with Customs at Apapa Port intercepted 80,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup imported from India.

Commending the officers, NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (Rtd), lauded their vigilance and professionalism, urging them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control — combining strict enforcement with public education.

He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, which continues to sensitise schools, workplaces and communities nationwide on the dangers of illicit drug use.

NDLEA uncovers drugs hidden in frozen snails, others bound for UK, US, DRC