NDLEA seizes 2.3 tonnes of illicit drugs in multi-state raids

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has conducted a series of large-scale operations across eight Nigerian states, resulting in the seizure of over 2.3 tonnes of assorted illicit drugs. The crackdown targeted international trafficking routes and local distribution networks in Lagos, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Kaduna, Plateau, Bayelsa, and Kano.

Major seizures included shipments of synthetic cannabis, known locally as Colorado or Colos, arriving from the United Kingdom. At Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, operatives intercepted two consignments of Colorado weighing approximately 44.45kg. These operations led to the arrest of several suspects, including a real estate agent who allegedly used a secret code to collect a shipment and a 70-year-old woman.

Traffickers utilized elaborate concealment methods, hiding narcotics inside music speakers, loaves of bread, and consolidated cargo. In addition to synthetic cannabis, authorities recovered large quantities of tramadol, pregabalin, diazepam, and other opioids. In Edo State, the agency also destroyed over 4,800kg of cannabis found on local farms.