Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted a major cocaine consignment ingeniously concealed in the heads of imported dried stock fish, locally known as Okporoko, in Lagos.

The operation, carried out by officers of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command in the Ojo area of the state, followed weeks of intelligence gathering on a trans-border trafficking syndicate allegedly moving hard drugs to India and other destinations.

According to the agency, the sting operation targeted a suspected kingpin, 36-year-old Akputa Ejike, who was trailed to a location where he was found with three jumbo bags. A search of the bags revealed 237 wraps of cocaine carefully buried inside the hollowed heads of the dried fish. The illicit cargo, with a gross weight of 5.80 kilograms, was reportedly being prepared for export to Delhi, India.

NDLEA officials described the concealment method as a sophisticated attempt to exploit legitimate food imports to mask international drug trafficking, noting that the interception underscores the growing creativity of cartels and the need for constant adaptation by law enforcement.

In a separate operation in Lagos, NDLEA officers intercepted two consignments at a courier company. One shipment, traced to Cotonou in Benin Republic, contained 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in automobile filters. Another parcel was found to contain 40 ampoules of morphine sulphate and nine ampoules of fentanyl, both potent opioid substances.

Further raids across multiple states revealed the breadth of the agency’s current crackdown. In Lagos, a Special Operations Unit stormed the residence of a suspected drug syndicate leader, Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, in Yaba, arresting her and her salesgirl, and seizing 135 blocks of Ghana Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 76.30 kilograms. Additional arrests and seizures of cannabis and other drugs were recorded in Ekiti, Ondo, Benue, Edo, and Taraba states.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the various commands involved, saying the coordinated operations reflect the agency’s resolve to disrupt both domestic and international drug supply chains. He noted that intensified intelligence-led efforts at airports, courier hubs, and across state commands are aimed at dismantling networks targeting markets in Europe and Asia.