NDLEA Intercepts Italy-Bound Businessman With 4.8kg Cocaine Hidden In Shoes, Bags

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 38-year-old businessman, Philip Tunde, with 4.8 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in the soles of shoes and railings of travelling bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The suspect was arrested on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.
According to a statement by the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, a search of the suspect’s luggage led to the discovery of 16 parcels of cocaine concealed inside the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes. Another 195 wraps of the substance were hidden in the railings of four travelling bags.
The drugs, which tested positive for cocaine, weighed a combined 4.80kg.
During interrogation, Tunde reportedly told NDLEA operatives that 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 his partner in Italy.
He reportedly said he raised the money from compensation he received following an injury sustained while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, where he lost the tips of two fingers.
The latest interception was part of a series of operations in which the agency said it seized illicit drugs worth more than N5 billion at the Apapa, Tincan Island and Onne ports.
At the Apapa Port, Lagos, NDLEA officers working with Customs and other agencies subjected two containers from Bangkok, Thailand, to 100 per cent examination.
The search of one of the containers resulted in the recovery of 161 parcels of Thai Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 124kg and valued at N372 million. The drugs were concealed in two refrigerators and two cartons.
At the Onne Port in Rivers State, two containers earlier placed on NDLEA’s watchlist were subjected to a joint examination. Officers recovered 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg from a travelling bag and three vehicles shipped in one of the containers.
The second container contained 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg. The shipment had originated from India and passed through Saudi Arabia, where its original shipping history was allegedly altered to evade detection.
The Loud and codeine consignments recovered at Onne were valued at N833.2 million.
At the Tincan Island Port, NDLEA operatives on September 29 examined a container from Montreal, Canada, and discovered 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg.
The consignment, concealed inside a Toyota Sienna and a Hyundai Elantra, along with 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags, was valued at more than N3.8 billion.
In Osun State, NDLEA officers destroyed 20,234kg of skunk cultivated on 8.0936 hectares of cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area.
The agency also reported the arrest of a 41-year-old suspect, Agbo Dennis, in Jos, Plateau State, after 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg were recovered from him.
In Lagos, operatives raided an unoccupied compound at Divine Estate, Ago Palace, on September 28 and recovered 209,000 tablets of tramadol.
A follow-up operation at Ladipo Spare Parts Market also led to the arrest of 23-year-old Ekundayo Taiwo. His arrest followed the seizure of 61 grammes of Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis, and 24 grammes of methamphetamine concealed in an energy-drink bottle and sent as a waybill package through a commercial bus along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
In Kogi State, NDLEA officers patrolling the Okene-Lokoja highway intercepted a Lagos-Abuja commuter bus and discovered a waybill containing two sachets of methamphetamine weighing 1kg.
A follow-up investigation led to the arrest of the alleged owner of the consignment, 29-year-old Michael Chukwuememka Uzoma, at Utako, Abuja.
In Edo State, officers raided the residence of 35-year-old Saturday Omimi at Uyere community, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, recovering 32.2kg of cannabis sativa.
On the same day, 23-year-old Osazuwa Iyabor Michael was arrested at Auchi Bypass, Benin City, with 59 grammes of Loud, 12 grammes of Colorado, 19 grammes of tramadol, 16 grammes of methamphetamine, four grammes of Swinol and four grammes of Molly.
The agency also announced the arrest of 47-year-old Idris Mohammed Kurra, who had been wanted for six years after allegedly jumping bail in a drug case before the Federal High Court in Jos.
Kurra was facing trial over the possession and dealing in 198kg of skunk but reportedly absconded after being granted bail in December 2020.
Meanwhile, NDLEA Commands across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.
The agency said recent campaigns were conducted in schools and communities in Enugu, Lagos, Kano, Ekiti and Kogi states, among others.
Commending the officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), urged personnel to sustain the intelligence-driven approach against drug trafficking networks.
Marwa also directed officers to maintain what he described as the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement operations with prevention and sensitisation efforts.