NDLEA intercepts Italy-bound businessman with 4.8kg cocaine at MMIA
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a Milan-bound businessman, Philip Tunde, with 4.80 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the soles of shoes and railings of travel bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The 38-year-old suspect was arrested on September 27, 2026, at the joint screening point of Terminal 2, ahead of his Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy. A search led to the recovery of 16 parcels of cocaine hidden in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes, as well as 195 wraps concealed in the railings of four travel bags.
During interrogation, Tunde reportedly said 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 also said he raised the money from compensation paid to him following an injury sustained while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, where he lost the tips of two fingers.
Meanwhile, the NDLEA said its operatives at the Apapa, Tin Can Island and Onne ports intercepted consignments of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, and codeine-based cough syrup with a combined street value of more than N5 billion. At Apapa, officers recovered another 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124 kilograms and valued at N372 million from a container originating from Bangkok, Thailand.
Similarly, at the Onne Port in Rivers State, 40 packs of Loud weighing 22 kilograms were recovered from one container, while another container contained 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440 kilograms. The agency said the consignments recovered at the port had a combined street value of N833.2 million, while another watch-listed container at Tin Can Island yielded 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5 kilograms and valued at more than N3.8 billion.
Beyond the ports, the agency said its operatives destroyed 20,234 kilograms of skunk from an 8.0936-hectare cannabis farm in Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State on September 30. In Lagos, officers recovered 209,000 tramadol tablets from an unoccupied compound at Divine Estate, Ago Palace, while follow-up operations in Lagos, Kogi, Edo and Plateau states led to the recovery of cannabis, methamphetamine, opioids and other illicit drugs and the arrest of several suspects.
The agency also announced the arrest of 47-year-old Idris Mohammed Kurra in Plateau State, six years after he allegedly jumped bail while facing trial at the Federal High Court, Jos, over the possession and dealing in 198 kilograms of skunk. Kurra was arrested on September 29, 2026, while NDLEA commands across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.
Commending officers and men involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), urged personnel nationwide to sustain the fight against drug trafficking networks. He also called for continued intelligence-driven operations alongside the agency’s balanced approach to drug control and prevention.
