Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have disrupted multiple drug trafficking operations spanning courier services, seaports, and local distribution networks, seizing illicit substances bound for Europe and Southern Africa and arresting dozens of suspects in Lagos and Oyo State. The agency says the operations highlight evolving smuggling tactics and renewed pressure on Nigeria’s role as both a transit and source country in global narcotics trade.

According to the NDLEA, consignments containing Ketamine, Ecstasy, and Tramadol were intercepted at a courier company in Lagos in late December 2025, while a separate maritime operation led to the seizure of 31.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed aboard a foreign merchant vessel docked at Apapa port in early January 2026. In a parallel development, officers in Oyo State arrested a long-wanted drug distributor in Ibadan, ending years of alleged involvement in large-scale cannabis trafficking.

Drugs Hidden in Everyday Items

NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said the courier seizures were made on 24 and 29 December 2025 during routine and intelligence-led checks at a logistics facility in Lagos. According to him, traffickers attempted to disguise the drugs by hiding them in coffee mix sachets and within a parcel containing books, a method designed to evade detection and exploit the high volume of end-of-year shipments.

Babafemi said the consignments were destined for Zambia and the United Kingdom, underscoring the continued use of Nigeria-based courier channels for international drug movements. He did not disclose the exact quantities of each substance but described the haul as significant, noting that Ketamine and Ecstasy remain in high demand in overseas recreational drug markets, while Tramadol continues to be trafficked despite tighter controls.

According to NDLEA officials, concealing drugs in common consumer goods has become more frequent as traffickers adapt to enhanced screening at airports and ports. An NDLEA officer familiar with the operation, who was not authorised to speak publicly, said such tactics often rely on the assumption that low-risk items will attract less scrutiny. However, he said recent investments in profiling and intelligence sharing have improved interception rates.

Cocaine Found on Merchant Vessel at Apapa

Just days after the courier interceptions, NDLEA operatives made a major maritime seizure at the GDNL terminal of Apapa port, Lagos. Babafemi said officers discovered 31.5 kilograms of cocaine hidden in hatch 3 of a merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, which had arrived from the Marshall Islands.

The discovery was made on Friday, 2 January 2026, during a search of the ship, according to the NDLEA. Babafemi said all 22 Indian crew members on board were taken into custody in connection with the seizure, including the vessel’s master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan.

The other crew members detained were named as Bharati Manoj Kumar, Bhalerao Nilesh Mukund, Nadar Anthony Macson David, Kolusu Srinivasa Rao, Sagar Gaurav, Francis Anto Beemas Nester, Jagdeep Singh, Jai Parkash, Prabhukhan Singh, Nevage Sandesh Suresh, Pandey Prashant, Nittu Anand, Akash Babu, Dasari Raju, Reddy Nandika Sanjeeba, Rana Nivesh, Melethil Insaf Rahman, Barla Chantanya Krishna, Ghosh Arijit, Mondal Raihan, and Gangwar Shiv Om.

Babafemi said investigations were ongoing to determine how the cocaine was loaded onto the vessel, the intended destination of the drugs, and whether the crew acted collectively or under the direction of an external trafficking network. He added that maritime trafficking remains a major concern, as cargo ships can move large quantities of narcotics across continents with relatively fewer inspections compared to air travel.

Arrest of Notorious Ibadan Drug Distributor

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Oyo State recorded a separate breakthrough with the arrest