NDLEA Arrests 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 4.80 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in the soles of shoes and the railings of travelling bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Tunde was intercepted on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 of the airport while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.

This is coming after the NDLEA arrested India-bound suspect with Illicit drug.

According to the NDLEA, a search of his luggage led to the recovery of 16 parcels of white powder concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes, as well as 195 wraps hidden in the railings of four travelling bags.

The substances tested positive for cocaine and weighed a combined 4.80kg.

During interrogation, the suspect allegedly disclosed that he paid N16 million in cash for the cocaine hidden in the shoes, while the consignment concealed in the bags was intended for delivery to a business partner in Italy.

He reportedly told investigators that 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.

NDLEA’s spokesperson Femi Babafemi said the arrest was part of a series of intelligence-led operations by the anti-narcotics agency across the country, which also resulted in the seizure of large consignments of illicit drugs at seaports and the destruction of cannabis farms.

At the Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives, working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders, intercepted 124kg of Thai Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, concealed in two refrigerators and two cartons inside a container from Bangkok, Thailand. The consignment was valued at N372 million.

At the Onne Port in Rivers State, another 22kg of Loud was recovered from a container, while 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg were also seized. The combined street value of the two consignments was put at N833.2 million.

At the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, NDLEA officers on September 29 recovered 1,297.5kg of Canadian Loud from a watch-listed container shipped from Montreal, Canada. The drugs, valued at more than N3.8 billion, were concealed in two vehicles alongside other items.

Recall that the NDLEA had also intercepted N3.4billion illicit drugs recently.

The agency also destroyed 20,234kg of skunk found on 8.0936 hectares of cannabis farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State.

In a related operation in Plateau State, a 41-year-old suspect, Agbo Dennis, was arrested in Jos North following the seizure of 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.

The NDLEA said its operations extended to the seizure of tramadol, methamphetamine, Colorado and other illicit substances in Lagos, Kogi and Edo states.

The agency also arrested Idris Mohammed Kurra, 47, a fugitive who allegedly jumped bail six years ago while facing trial before the Federal High Court in Jos over the possession and dealing in 198kg of skunk.

Kurra was arrested on September 29, 2026, after evading arrest since December 2020, when he was granted bail by the court.

Meanwhile, the NDLEA said its commands across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.

The agency said the activities were aimed at preventing drug abuse and raising public awareness about the dangers associated with illicit drugs.

Commending officers involved in the operations, the chairman and chief executive officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd.), urged them to sustain the pressure on drug trafficking networks across the country.

Marwa also called for the continuation of the agency’s balanced approach to drug control, combining enforcement operations with prevention, public education and community sensitisation.