The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted large consignments of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, and codeine-based cough syrup worth more than N5 billion at the Apapa, Tin Can Island and Onne ports.

The seizures followed months of intelligence gathering and tracking of suspicious shipments from their countries of origin, leading to coordinated examinations of containers placed on the agency’s watchlist.

At the Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives subjected two containers shipped from Bangkok, Thailand, to a 100 per cent examination. One of the containers was found to contain 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124 kilogrammes, with an estimated street value of N372 million.

The illicit substance was concealed inside two refrigerators and two cartons.

At the Onne Port in Rivers State, operatives recovered 40 packs of Loud weighing 22 kilogrammes from another watch-listed container. The drugs were concealed inside a travelling bag and three of five vehicles shipped in the container.

A separate container at the port was found to contain 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440 kilogrammes. According to the NDLEA, the shipment originated from India and passed through Saudi Arabia, where its original shipping history was allegedly deleted in an attempt to evade detection.

The combined street value of the Loud and codeine consignments intercepted at the Onne Port was estimated at N833.2 million.

Meanwhile, at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives on September 29 intercepted another watch-listed container shipped from Montreal, Canada.

A search of the container uncovered 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5 kilogrammes, concealed inside a Toyota Sienna and Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags.

The Tin Can Island consignment was valued at more than N3.8 billion, bringing the total estimated street value of the major Loud and codeine consignments intercepted across the three ports to over N5 billion.

Businessman Arrested With Cocaine Destined for Italy

In a related operation, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, arrested a 38-year-old businessman, identified as Philip Tunde, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 4.80 kilogrammes of cocaine to Milan, Italy.

The suspect was arrested on September 27 at Terminal 2 while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight.

The cocaine was allegedly concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes, as well as inside the railings of four travelling bags.

The NDLEA said the suspect told investigators that he paid N16 million for the cocaine concealed in the shoes, while the consignment hidden in the bags was allegedly intended for delivery to a partner in Italy.

Cannabis Farm Destroyed in Osun

The agency also reported the destruction of 20,234 kilogrammes of cannabis (skunk) cultivated on 8.0936 hectares of farmland in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State.

In Lagos, operatives recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol from an unoccupied compound in Ago Palace, while additional seizures and arrests were recorded during operations in Kogi, Edo and Plateau states.

The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), commended the officers involved in the operations and urged them to sustain intelligence-driven efforts against drug trafficking networks across the country.