Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have made a series of high-profile interceptions and arrests across the country, including the discovery of cocaine concealed in religious books destined for Saudi Arabia and the arrest of a notorious drug supplier to armed bandits.

The Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) uncovered 500 grams of cocaine hidden in 20 parcels embedded within religious books during a routine cargo screening at a Lagos courier company on Tuesday, April 15. The illicit consignment was bound for Saudi Arabia.

At another courier facility on the same day, NDLEA officers seized five parcels of Loud— a potent strain of cannabis — weighing 2.8kg and concealed in a carton arriving from the United States.

In Kano State, operatives arrested 22-year-old Muhammad Mohammed, who was allegedly transporting 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection to bandits in Katsina. The substances were taped to his thigh and private part. The arrest was made along the Bichi-Kano Road on Sunday, April 13. Another suspect, Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, 43, was apprehended the same day in the Research Rimin Kebe area with 68 blocks of cannabis (skunk) weighing 30kg.

A massive drug bust in Bayelsa State on Wednesday, April 16, led to the recovery of 557.2kg of skunk, 5.6kg of methamphetamine, and 29.8 grams of heroin from a residence in Opolo, Yenagoa. Four suspects — Sarimiye Suwa Kurtis (46), Roland Prosper (34), Sarimiye Tare Paul (45), and Fidelis Ugbesla (46) — were arrested.

In Lagos, 1,100kg of skunk were recovered from a delivery van, and the driver, Ismail Abdullahi, was arrested in Surulere on Thursday, April 17. In Kaduna, NDLEA operatives raided a hideout in Zaria on Friday, April 18, and seized 31,950 pills of tramadol (225mg) and diazepam from a suspect identified as Ike Ani, 30.

In Kebbi State, officers intercepted a charcoal-laden vehicle from Benin Republic along Bagudo Road. A thorough search revealed 97kg of skunk concealed in the sacks. Three suspects — Abubakar Ibrahim (50), Mustapha Aliyu (32), and Bashar Lawali (28) — were taken into custody.

Anambra State operatives arrested 48-year-old Okafor Marcel with 11.5kg of skunk in Abatete, while in Osogbo, Osun State, NDLEA agents arrested Ajala Mercy, 27, with 43 litres of skushi — a psychoactive cocktail of cannabis, opioids, and black currant — found in her residence at Dada Estate.

In Edo State, two cannabis farms in Egbeta Forest, Ovia North-East LGA, were raided. NDLEA personnel destroyed over 3,717kg of cannabis cultivated on 1.48 hectares and seized an additional 136.5kg of processed cannabis.

At the Tincan Seaport in Lagos, 40-year-old Basorun Usman Kayode, a suspect linked to a 2023 seizure of 107kg of Loud imported from Canada, was finally arrested after two years on the run. Another suspect, Dauda Yakubu, was apprehended for distributing drugs within the seaport community.

Meanwhile, the agency's War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative continued with sensitization lectures across schools, markets, and motor parks nationwide. Beneficiaries included students of St. Michael Anglican Primary School in Epe, Lagos; Community Grammar School, Ipoti Ekiti; and traders at markets in Osogbo, Calabar, and Onitsha.

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across the DOGI, Kano, Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, Osun, Edo, and Tincan Commands for their dedication. He also praised their efforts in maintaining a balance between reducing drug supply and curbing demand through sustained advocacy.