The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking syndicates, arresting suspected kingpins and intercepting cocaine, synthetic cannabis, and opioids worth over N10 billion at Lagos ports and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, while also recovering hundreds of rounds of military-grade ammunition in separate operations.

Among those arrested is 55-year-old businessman, Onuigbo Ndubisi Chinedu, a clothing trader at Balogun Market, Lagos Island, who was identified by the agency as the alleged kingpin of a cocaine trafficking syndicate attempting to export illicit drugs to the United Kingdom.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Chinedu was arrested on Thursday, July 23, after operatives intercepted 3.30 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside the walls of cartons used to package foodstuffs destined for the UK at the export shed of the Lagos airport a day earlier.

The agency said investigations initially led to the arrest of three cargo agents—Nkwor Onyekachukwu Justina, Adeleke Abiola Taoheed, and Ukanwa Grace Pilgrim—who handled the shipment. Their interrogation subsequently resulted in the arrest of Kenneth Okakpu, who delivered the consignment for export.

“Okakpu’s arrest provided the lead to identifying Onuigbo as the kingpin behind the syndicate and his eventual arrest while attempting to send another consignment of cocaine to the UK,’’ the statement said.

In another operation, NDLEA operatives arrested 31-year-old entrepreneur Emmanuella Chukwu-Edo at her Surulere residence in Lagos on Tuesday, July 21, following the seizure of her 2.80kg consignment of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, which arrived from the United States aboard a United Airlines flight the previous day.

The anti-narcotics agency also intercepted 2,240,000 pills of Tapentadol 250mg, valued at more than N2.2 billion, during a joint examination of cargo that arrived from India aboard an Air Maroc flight at the Lagos airport on Friday, July 24.

According to the agency, the operation was intelligence-driven and came shortly after operatives uncovered a consignment of tramadol concealed inside containers of black soap intended for shipment to the United Kingdom. The consignment was intercepted at a Lagos courier company on Wednesday, July 22.

At the Apapa Seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers uncovered a container carrying three vehicles used to conceal 4,777 sachets of Canadian Loud weighing 2,388.5 kilograms, with an estimated street value exceeding N7.1 billion.

Beyond drug seizures, the agency recorded significant recoveries of ammunition during separate operations in Katsina and Kaduna states.

Babafemi said Mustapha Sani, 30, was arrested during a patrol at Baure in Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State with 323 rounds of military-grade ammunition, comprising 200 rounds of 7.62mm and 123 rounds of 7.6mm ammunition, carefully concealed.

Similarly, Abubakar Amadu, 30, was arrested during a stop-and-search operation at Jere along the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway after officers discovered 73 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition hidden inside kegs of red oil.

The NDLEA said both suspects had been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.

In Edo State, raid operations carried out at Ilushi community in Esan South-East Local Government Area on July 19 resulted in the seizure of 1,286 kilograms of cannabis and 86 kilograms of cannabis seeds from a warehouse.

The agency also arrested Ojore Onweze, 45, with 60kg of skunk, while George Agwumede, 30, was apprehended with 13kg of the same substance.

Commending officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI), Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Apapa, Edo, Kaduna and Katsina Commands for the successful operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), urged personnel across the country to sustain the agency’s balanced approach to drug control and enforcement.