Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a significant consignment of illicit drugs disguised as green tea at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. The operation, which took place on June 5, 2025, resulted in the seizure of 66 parcels of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, concealed within wraps of green tea. The shipment, weighing a total of 62.20 kg, had arrived from Thailand via the United Arab Emirates on an Emirates Airlines flight.

The interception was based on credible intelligence received prior to the consignment’s arrival at the airport cargo wing on May 11. Following three weeks of sustained surveillance, NDLEA operatives conducted a joint examination of the shipment with other stakeholders last Thursday.

In a related operation on June 2, NDLEA officials apprehended two suspects, Gidado Abdulrasaq Ayinde and Obanla Oluwafemi, while intercepting a substantial consignment of approximately 1,665 kg of skunk cannabis along the Lekki-Ajah expressway in Lagos.

Meanwhile, in Kaduna, officers on patrol along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway arrested 29-year-old Goodluck Nnaemeka on June 3, seizing 612 bottles of codeine-based syrup and 2,970 pills of flunitrazepam. The same day, a 52-year-old suspected drug dealer, known as Kabiru Musa (a.k.a. KB), was apprehended at Kurmin Mashi, where 25.7 kg of skunk was discovered at his location.

Additionally, in Edo State, an Audi station wagon driven by 45-year-old Atari Israel was found to contain 9 kg of Loud hidden in the spare tyre compartment. Two young women, Favour Joy and Joy Igwe, were also arrested on June 3 at the Ikpoba Hill area of Benin City, with authorities recovering 106.57 kg of skunk, 1 kg of Loud, 800 grams of Colorado, and 302 grams of methamphetamine.

The NDLEA has also continued its social advocacy activities under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, engaging students and community members in educational initiatives across various institutions in states such as Katsina, Ebonyi, Cross River, Lagos, and Anambra.

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, commended the officers involved in the recent seizures and arrests, recognizing their efforts to maintain a balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction initiatives.