The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a social‑media network that was distributing illicit substances disguised as imported Christmas cookies and snacks. According to Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, two masterminds were arrested during a raid on their hideout in the Lekki area of Lagos. The syndicate had imported consignments of Canadian “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, and colorful designer sachets. The drugs were packaged in retail quantities, with sachets printed with pictures and labels of cookies and snacks.
NDLEA operatives tracked the syndicate’s movements after receiving credible intelligence that the group was coordinating through a WhatsApp platform. The team raided the syndicate’s apartment on Ojulari Street, Ikate, Lekki, recovering a large quantity of designer sachets and 5 kg of Loud. In a separate operation, NDLEA officers arrested a 38‑year‑old drug kingpin in the Ladipo area of Mushin, Lagos, as he received 110 pouches of Canadian Loud weighing 55.6 kg. Three delivery vehicles were seized at the point of arrest.
Additional seizures included 100 g of Loud concealed in a teddy bear imported from Thailand, intercepted at a courier company in Lagos, and a consignment of 548 tramadol capsules hidden in bottles of Vitamin C and magnesium destined for the United Kingdom, seized at another logistics firm. In Oyo State, officers arrested a suspect found with 8,000 ampoules of pentazocine injection, 590 bottles of codeine syrup, 1,500 Co‑codamol pills, and 9,900 tramadol capsules.
The agency also conducted raids in Ondo, Kogi and Bauchi states, resulting in the arrest of several suspects and the recovery of large quantities of “skunk,” another cannabis strain. In Kano, a suspect was arrested with 137 kg of skunk, while in Bauchi state three suspects were nabbed with 322 blocks of skunk weighing a total of 209 kg; a black Toyota Highlander jeep used to convey the consignment was also recovered.
These operations underscore the NDLEA’s recent successes in seizing drugs and arresting traffickers, disrupting multiple drug syndicates and networks. The agency emphasizes the need for continued vigilance, cooperation, and public education to address the root causes of drug abuse and the dangers of illicit substances.
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