NDLEA Siezed Over N5bn in Cannabis and Codeine at Nigerian Ports, Arrests Milan Bound Businessman.

NDLEA Siezed Over N5bn in Cannabis and Codeine at Nigerian Ports, Arrests Milan Bound Businessman.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized consignments of illicit drugs with a combined street value of more than N5 billion at the Apapa, Tin Can Island and Onne seaports, while separately arresting a businessman allegedly attempting to transport 4.80 kilograms of cocaine to Milan, Italy.

The latest seizures, disclosed by the agency on Sunday, October 4, 2026, followed intelligence led operations and joint examinations with the Nigeria Customs Service and other port stakeholders. The intercepted consignments included Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, and codeine-based cough syrup.

At the Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives subjected two containers shipped from Bangkok, Thailand, to a 100 per cent examination after intelligence flagged the consignments. Officers recovered 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124 kilograms, with an estimated street value of N372 million. The drugs were allegedly concealed inside two refrigerators and two cartons.

A larger seizure was recorded at the Tin Can Island Port, where NDLEA officers on September 29 examined a watch-listed container shipped from Montreal, Canada. The operation resulted in the recovery of 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5 kilograms. The cannabis was concealed inside a Toyota Sienna and a Hyundai Elantra, alongside 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags. The consignment was valued at more than N3.8 billion in street value.

At the Onne Port in Rivers State, two containers placed on the agency’s watchlist were jointly examined. Officers recovered 40 packs of Loud weighing 22 kilograms, concealed in a travelling bag and three vehicles, while a second container contained 109,600 bottles of codeine based cough syrup weighing 16,440 kilograms.

According to the NDLEA, the codeine shipment had travelled from India to Saudi Arabia, where information about its origin was allegedly removed before the consignment continued its journey. The combined street value of the Loud and codeine recovered at Onne was put at N833.2 million.

Milan bound businessman arrested with 4.8kg cocaine

In a separate operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Philip Tunde, a 38-year-old businessman, on September 27 while he was preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan.

The agency said a search at the Terminal 2 joint screening point uncovered 16 parcels of cocaine concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes, as well as 195 wraps hidden inside the railings of four travelling bags. The substances tested positive for cocaine and had a combined weight of 4.80 kilograms.

During questioning, NDLEA said Tunde claimed he paid N16 million in cash for the cocaine concealed in the shoes, while the consignment hidden in the bags was intended for delivery to a partner in Italy. He also reportedly told investigators that the money used to purchase the drugs came from compensation he received following an injury sustained while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy.

The seizures form part of a wider series of enforcement operations by the NDLEA across Nigeria. The agency also reported the destruction of more than 20,000 kilograms of cannabis cultivated on 8.0936 hectares in Osun State, alongside other drug recoveries and arrests in several states.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations and urged personnel to maintain intelligence-driven action against drug trafficking networks.

The latest interceptions underscore the continuing efforts by Nigerian authorities to disrupt the movement of illicit drugs through the country’s major maritime and aviation gateways, particularly as traffickers increasingly attempt to conceal prohibited substances within legitimate commercial cargo and personal luggage.