NDLEA intercepts cocaine hidden in stock fish bound for India
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted a large consignment of cocaine concealed in the heads of imported dry stock fish in Lagos.
The agency said the seizure followed intelligence on a drug syndicate involved in trafficking illicit substances across borders, particularly to India, with a key member of the network, 36-year-old Akputa Dickson Ejike, arrested during a sting operation.
Sources disclosed that the operation was carried out by officers of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command in the Ojo area of Lagos on March 19, 2026 wherein three jumbo bags found in the suspect’s possession contained 237 wraps of cocaine hidden inside dried fish, commonly known as ‘okporoko’.
According to the agency, the recovered cocaine weighed 5.80 kilograms and was meant for export to Delhi, India.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted two consignments bound for the United Kingdom at a courier company in Lagos. The shipments included 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in automobile filters, as well as ampoules of morphine sulphate and fentanyl.
Similarly, the agency also raided a residence in Yaba, Lagos, where a suspected drug syndicate leader, Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, and her associate were arrested alongside 135 blocks of cannabis weighing over 76 kilograms from the premises. Another suspect was arrested in Surulere with 78 blocks of the same substance.
Outside Lagos, enforcement operations led to multiple arrests and seizures across states. In Ekiti, an 80-year-old man was arrested with drugs, while large quantities of illicit substances were recovered in Ondo, Benue, Edo, and Taraba states during coordinated raids.
In response to these developments, the Chairman of NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the operations and urged continued efforts in balancing drug supply reduction with public sensitisation under the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse campaign.
