Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a Milan-bound businessman with 4.80 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the soles of shoes and the railings of travelling bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Philip Tunde, was arrested at the airport's joint screening point ahead of his Royal Air Maroc flight.
According to the NDLEA, a thorough search of Tunde's luggage led to the discovery of 16 parcels of a white powdery substance concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes. Another 195 wraps of the substance were allegedly hidden in the railings of four travelling bags. The agency said the substances tested positive for cocaine, with a combined weight of 4.80kg.
During interrogation, Tunde allegedly told investigators that he paid ₦16 million in cash for the cocaine concealed in the shoes, while the consignment hidden in the bags was intended for delivery to his partner in Italy. He reportedly claimed that he raised the money from compensation paid to him following an injury he sustained while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, where he lost the tips of two fingers.
The airport interception was among several major operations carried out by the NDLEA across the country, including at the Apapa, Tincan Island and Onne ports, where officers intercepted large consignments of illicit drugs worth more than ₦5 billion. The NDLEA also reported major seizures and arrests in other parts of the country, including cannabis farms and drug warehouses.
At the Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives, acting on intelligence, subjected two containers originating from Bangkok, Thailand, to 100 percent examination in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders. A search of one of the containers on September 3 resulted in the recovery of 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg, valued at ₦372 million.
In Osun State, operatives destroyed 20,234kg of skunk found on 8.0936 hectares of cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area, on September 30. In Plateau State, a 41-year-old suspect, Agbo Dennis, was arrested on September 29 at the West of Mines area of Jos North following the seizure of 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.
The NDLEA also arrested a fugitive who had jumped bail in a 2020 drug case after six years on the run. The agency put the combined street value of the seizures at more than ₦5 billion. The operations extended to cannabis farms, drug warehouses, vehicles and courier consignments across several states, with more arrests and seizures recorded in Lagos, Osun, Plateau, Kogi and Edo.
Key points
- The NDLEA intercepted 4.80kg of cocaine concealed in shoe soles and bag railings at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
- The agency also intercepted consignments of Loud, a potent cannabis strain, and codeine-based cough syrup at the Apapa, Tincan Island and Onne ports.
- The combined street value of the seizures was put at more than ₦5 billion.
