The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has uncovered a consignment of cocaine concealed in dry stockfish heads at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The agency disclosed this in a statement on Sunday by its spokesman, Femi Babafemi, who said the illicit drugs were discovered during an operation targeting a transnational trafficking syndicate.
According to him, operatives acting on intelligence regarding the group’s cross-border activities carried out a coordinated sting operation at the airport on March 19, leading to the arrest of a key suspect linked to the network.
He explained that three large bags found in the possession of the suspect were searched, resulting in the recovery of 237 parcels of cocaine concealed within the heads of imported stockfish, popularly known as “okporoko.”
Babafemi said the seized cocaine weighed 5.80 kilogrammes and was intended for export to India.
In a related development, the NDLEA said its operatives attached to the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation intercepted two separate consignments bound for the United Kingdom at a courier facility in Lagos on March 25.
One of the shipments, which originated from Cotonou, Benin Republic, was found to contain 1.9 kilogrammes of methamphetamine hidden inside automobile filters.
The second consignment comprised 40 ampoules of morphine sulphate and nine ampoules of fentanyl.
The spokesman further revealed that operatives of the agency’s Special Operations Unit raided the residence of a suspected drug trafficker in Yaba, Lagos, on March 26.
He said a 46-year-old woman, identified as the leader of a notorious drug distribution network, was arrested alongside her sales assistant during the operation at Carter Street.
Items recovered from the premises included 135 blocks of a cannabis strain known as “Ghana Loud,” with a total weight of 76.30 kilogrammes.
Babafemi noted that the suspect, widely known as “Iya Ghana,” allegedly operates a drug trafficking ring between Nigeria and Ghana under the cover of a legitimate fabric business.
On the same day, another suspect was apprehended at Doyin bus stop in Surulere, Lagos, where 78 blocks of the same cannabis strain weighing 41 kilogrammes were recovered.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, commended officers across the agency’s commands, including those at the airport and special operations units, for the successful arrests and seizures.
He also lauded personnel nationwide for maintaining a balance between efforts to curb drug supply and initiatives aimed at reducing drug demand.