NDLEA uncovers new Thailand drug route, seizes N4.4bn Loud as 101-year-old woman, others arrested
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered what it described as a new maritime route allegedly being exploited by international drug trafficking syndicates to smuggle synthetic cannabis into Nigeria, following the seizure of about 1.49 tonnes of cannabis indica, popularly known as Loud, at the Apapa and Lekki Deep Sea ports in Lagos.
The consignments, which originated from Laem Chabang Port in Thailand, had a combined estimated street value of more than N4.4 billion, according to the NDLEA.
The agency said the interceptions represented its first-ever seizure of illicit drugs shipped from Thailand through Nigeria’s maritime corridor, raising concerns about attempts by international trafficking networks to establish new routes into the country. (NDLEA)
The seizures formed part of a series of intelligence-led operations carried out by NDLEA commands across the country between August 15 and 22, 2026. The operations also led to the arrest of a 101-year-old great-grandmother allegedly involved in the retail sale of cannabis, the interception of cocaine concealed in fufu, the destruction of 10 tonnes of cannabis and the recovery of methamphetamine, tramadol, codeine and other controlled substances.
At the Apapa Port, NDLEA operatives, working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies, jointly examined a container on Friday, August 21.
The container had been declared as carrying dry fish, rice, vehicle spare parts, turmeric soap and inverter batteries. However, the inspection uncovered 1,090.5 kilogrammes of Thai Loud, packed in 54 cartons containing 2,181 sachets, each weighing 500 grammes.
The NDLEA said the container had originated from Laem Chabang Port in Thailand.
At the Lekki Deep Sea Port, another container that had been placed on the agency’s watchlist was jointly examined on Wednesday, August 19, after being monitored by the NDLEA Marine Special Operations Unit.
Four of seven pallets wrapped in black nylon were found to contain 400 kilogrammes of Thai Loud, packed in 96 cartons containing 400 parcels. The remaining three pallets contained 798 rims of A4 paper, which the agency said had been used to conceal the illicit consignment. (NDLEA)
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The combined seizure from the two ports amounted to 1,490.5 kilogrammes, or roughly 1.49 tonnes, of Thai Loud.
The discovery comes amid increased scrutiny of Nigeria’s ports and maritime borders as drug traffickers continue to explore sophisticated concealment methods and alternative routes for moving narcotics across the country.
In Ogun State, NDLEA operatives arrested 101-year-old Esther Ogunmabo at Ilisan on Saturday, August 15, allegedly for selling cannabis.
The agency said Ogunmabo was found with 90 grammes of skunk, a strain of cannabis, packaged in small retail sachets.
According to the NDLEA, the centenarian told investigators that she turned to selling cannabis after a fire destroyed her provisions shop. She allegedly said one of her daughters, who lives in Lagos, supplied her with cannabis every four days for onward sale in small quantities.
Because of her advanced age, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), directed that Ogunmabo be granted bail and placed on counselling.
The agency, however, arrested her daughter over her alleged connection to the cannabis supply. (NDLEA)
In Akwa Ibom State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a wooden boat allegedly transporting illicit drugs towards fishing settlements in Cameroon.
The operation, conducted on Friday, August 21, resulted in the arrest of three suspects identified as Etima Effiong Eekpo, 29; Otobong Eyoh Etukudoh, 33; and Kingsley Effiong John, 27.
The agency said Eekpo was found with 1.120 kilogrammes of skunk, while Etukudoh had 42.060 kilogrammes of skunk.
John allegedly possessed 435 grammes of skunk and 20 grammes of cocaine concealed inside a large wrap of edible cassava flour, popularly known as fufu.
A total of 42.622 kilogrammes of narcotics was recovered from the three suspects. (NDLEA)
NDLEA operatives in Ondo State also destroyed 10,000 kilogrammes of skunk cultivated across four hectares of farmland in Ijare forest, Ifedore Local Government Area.
The operation followed the earlier arrest of three suspected cannabis cultivators at the same location on August 16.
In another operation at Ita-Ogbolu in Akure North Local Government Area, officers recovered 210 kilogrammes of skunk and a Toyota Camry allegedly belonging to Sylvester Dibiagu Anthony, who the agency said remained at large. (NDLEA)
In the Federal Capital Territory, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, August 22, intercepted three waybill packages containing 24,410 tramadol capsules inside a Hummer bus travelling from Enugu to Zuba.
A follow-up operation in Kontagora, Niger State, led to the arrest of 28-year-old Sunday Eze, whom the agency identified as the alleged owner of the consignment.
He was subsequently transferred to Abuja for further investigation. (NDLEA)
In Kwara State, NDLEA officers patrolling the Ogbomosho-Ilorin Expressway on Friday, August 21, intercepted a Toyota Starlet without a registration number.
A search of the vehicle allegedly produced 1.325 kilogrammes of methamphetamine, wrapped in black nylon bags, alongside quantities of cannabis.
A 22-year-old suspect, Muhammadu Usman, was arrested in connection with the seizure. (NDLEA)
In Oyo State, NDLEA operatives arrested 65-year-old Adebayo Kaosarat at Akobo-Ojuirin in Ibadan.
The agency said she was found with 1.795 kilogrammes of Scottish Loud, 1.66 kilogrammes of tramadol, 600 grammes of codeine syrup, 125 grammes of diazepam and 50 grammes of flunitrazepam.
The combined weight of the substances was put at 4.68 kilogrammes. (NDLEA)
In Kano State, NDLEA officers recovered 73.3 kilogrammes of skunk from 31-year-old Chibuzor Madueke during a raid along Hadeija Road.
At Seme in Lagos, three members of the same family—52-year-old Nasiru Tijjani and his two relatives, 27-year-olds Moshood Tijjani and Salami Tijjani—were arrested at Ashipa near the border with 48 kilogrammes of skunk, according to the agency.
In Abia State, officers raided the residence of 36-year-old Ikechukwu Anthony Iwuno at Umuobia Olokoro, Umuahia South Local Government Area.
The operation allegedly recovered 14.4 kilogrammes of Loud, 2.3 kilogrammes of Colorado, 386 grammes of tramadol and 134 grammes of Rohypnol. (NDLEA)
The NDLEA said its enforcement operations were accompanied by public awareness activities under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
The agency conducted sensitisation programmes in schools, religious institutions, workplaces and communities in Kano, Oyo, Kebbi, Taraba and Edo states, while its Idiroko Special Area Command in Ogun State also held an advocacy engagement with the chairman of Ipokia Local Government Area.
Marwa commended personnel from the Ogun, Apapa, Lekki, Seme, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Kano, Abia and FCT commands for the operations.
He urged officers to maintain what he described as a balanced drug-control strategy combining law enforcement, prevention, counselling, public enlightenment and community engagement. (NDLEA)
The latest seizures come shortly after the NDLEA publicly destroyed 329,865.585 kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs valued at about N301.058 billion in a court-ordered exercise in Lagos. The destroyed substances included cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, various cannabis strains, ephedrine, tramadol, codeine syrup and other opioids. (NDLEA)
The agency has also received renewed backing from the United States International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau (INL). On August 20, INL Nigeria Country Director Derek Tolliver commended the NDLEA’s recent operational successes and pledged to build on the existing partnership between the two agencies. (NDLEA)
The latest operations highlight the expanding range of methods allegedly being used by trafficking networks—from hiding narcotics in legitimate maritime consignments and food products to transporting drugs through waterways and overland routes.
For the NDLEA, the interception of the Thai consignments is particularly significant because it points to a potentially new international maritime trafficking route into Nigeria, making continued intelligence sharing, port surveillance and cooperation among law-enforcement agencies increasingly important.
NDLEA uncovers new Thailand drug route, seizes N4.4bn Loud as 101-year-old woman, others arrested
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