Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a large consignment of cocaine concealed in the heads of imported dry stock fish, as part of a series of coordinated anti-narcotics operations across the country.

The agency disclosed that the seizure followed intelligence on a transnational drug syndicate, leading to a sting operation by its Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command in Lagos. During the operation, a 36-year-old suspect, Akputa Dickson Ejike, was arrested with three jumbo bags containing 237 wraps of cocaine hidden in “Okporoko” (dry fish), weighing 5.8 kilograms. The consignment was reportedly bound for Delhi, India.

In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted two UK-bound consignments at a Lagos courier facility. The shipments included 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in automobile filters, as well as ampoules of morphine sulphate and fentanyl.

Further raids in Lagos led to the arrest of a suspected drug syndicate leader, 46-year-old Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, alongside an associate. Officers recovered 135 blocks of “Ghana Loud,” a strain of cannabis, weighing 76.3 kilograms. Another suspect was apprehended in Surulere with 78 blocks of the same substance.

Across other states, the agency recorded multiple seizures and arrests. In Ekiti, an 80-year-old man was arrested with skunk and methamphetamine, while operatives in Ondo uncovered nearly 895 kilograms of illicit substances in an uncompleted building. Additional operations in Benue, Edo, and Taraba states led to the recovery of large quantities of cannabis and codeine-based syrup, along with several arrests.

The NDLEA also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools nationwide as part of efforts to curb drug demand.

Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised their commitment to balancing enforcement with preventive advocacy.

The latest seizures underscore the agency’s ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking networks and its resolve to disrupt both local distribution and international supply chains.