Nigeria's NDLEA busts cannabis farms in Edo and seizes 13 kg cocaine at Lagos airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Nigeria reported that its Edo command destroyed three cannabis plantations covering about 1.67 hectares, seized 4,905.36 kg of assorted illicit drugs—including 4,169.02 kg of cannabis, methamphetamine and various psychotropic substances—and arrested 42 suspects (24 men and 18 women) during intelligence‑led operations in June. The agency also secured ten convictions for drug offences and filed three new cases.

In a separate operation, NDLEA agents at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos apprehended a 67‑year‑old Nigerian‑British woman attempting to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London. A detailed luggage search uncovered 13 kg of cocaine concealed inside fake plantain peels. The agency also dismantled a trafficking syndicate linked to shipments destined for Kuala Lumpur, arresting a 45‑year‑old PhD student and seizing an additional 5.8 kg of cocaine hidden in Orijin Bitters cartons.

These actions represent a major crackdown on drug cultivation, trafficking and smuggling networks within Nigeria.