The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has foiled an attempt to smuggle cocaine to the United Kingdom by hiding the drug inside body cream containers.
In a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said operatives at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport found 70 parcels of cocaine embedded in the walls of cocoa butter body cream jars. The haul, weighing 3.60 kilogrammes, was detected on 14 October in cargo declared as personal items and booked on an Air Peace flight to London.
A cargo handler who processed the shipment was arrested immediately. Further follow-up operations in Lagos resulted in the arrest of two suspected masterminds, including a healthcare worker and the head of a travel agency.
In another case, NDLEA officers in Enugu arrested a 35-year-old man from Lesotho attempting to traffic 103.59 grammes of methamphetamine to the Philippines. The drug was concealed in a packet labelled as “diabeta herbs coffee tea” and was found during screening of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
Separately, authorities arrested a suspect in Kwara State after discovering 21,950 tramadol capsules hidden inside a 100-litre electric water heater. The seizure took place on 21 October in Bode Saadu, Moro Local Government Area, following intelligence reports.
NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, congratulated officers at MMIA, Akanu Ibiam International Airport and other command units for their vigilance. He encouraged them to maintain the agency’s strong stance against drug trafficking.
