NDLEA Seizes UK-Bound Drugs Hidden in Duvet at Lagos Airport

In a bold move to crack down on drug trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a shipment of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. The consignment was headed to the United Kingdom and was cleverly concealed inside a duvet.

According to Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, the illicit package, weighing 3.5 kilograms, was discovered at the airport’s cargo shed on Tuesday, January 21. Two suspects connected to the smuggling attempt were immediately arrested.

The key suspect, Austin Balogun, reportedly admitted to hiring another individual, Adakole, to handle the shipment. He claimed he was paid ₦700,000 for the job, which he mostly used to cover export charges and rent.

More Arrests and Seizures

The NDLEA didn’t stop there. A raid in the Igbo Olumo area of Ikorodu, Lagos, uncovered seven liters of a new psychoactive substance called “skuchies,” made from black currant, cannabis, and opioids. Alongside the drugs, officers seized several weapons, including locally made rifles and pistols, cartridges, and an axe.

In another operation on January 19, agents seized 47 kilograms of skunk, a strong strain of cannabis, and 25.46 kilograms of Nitrous Oxide (commonly known as laughing gas) from the notorious Akala area in Mushin, Lagos.

Nationwide Operations

The NDLEA’s fight against drug trafficking extended beyond Lagos. In Ekiti State, a 26-year-old man was arrested with nearly 2 kilograms of Canadian Loud on January 23. In Kwara State, officers nabbed another suspect with 50,000 tramadol pills weighing 36.56 kilograms.

Meanwhile, in Kano, three individuals, including a Nigerien national, were arrested at Gadar Tamburawa with 13.1 kilograms of skunk and 125 liters of a psychoactive substance called “suck and die.” During another operation, NDLEA agents located and destroyed a cannabis farm in the Dawakin Kudu area of Kano.