Italy-Bound Businessman Intercepted With Cocaine Consignments In Shoe Soles, Bag Railings

• Tourism Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) apprehended a 38-year-old business owner, Philip Tunde, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while supposedly trying to smuggle 4.80 kg of drug to Milan, Italy.

• Tourism The company stated 16 parcels of drug were hidden in the soles of 8 sets of fitness instructors and canvas shoes, while another 195 covers were concealed inside the railings of 4 taking a trip bags. Tunde was apprehended at the airport’s joint screening point ahead of his Royal Air Maroc flight.

• Tourism NDLEA operatives likewise obstructed consignments of Loud, a powerful marijuana pressure, and codeine-based cough syrup at the Apapa, Tincan Island and Onne ports. The company put the combined street worth of the seizures at more than 5 billion.

• Tourism The operations encompassed marijuana farms, drug storage facilities, cars and carrier consignments throughout a number of states, with more arrests and seizures taped in Lagos, Osun, Plateau, Kogi and Edo. A fugitive who had actually leapt bail in a 2020 drug case was likewise jailed after 6 years on the run.

October 04, (THEWILL)–Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have actually obstructed a Milan-bound business owner with 4.80 kgs of drug hidden in the soles of shoes and the railings of taking a trip bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

The 38-year-old suspect, determined as Philip Tunde, was apprehended on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 of the airport while preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.

According to the NDLEA, an extensive search of the suspect’s travel luggage resulted in the discovery of 16 parcels of a white grainy compound hidden in the soles of 8 sets of fitness instructors and canvas shoes.

Another 195 covers of the compound were apparently concealed in the railings of 4 taking a trip bags.

The firm stated the compounds checked favorable for drug, with a combined weight of 4.80 kg.

Throughout interrogation, Tunde supposedly informed private investigators that he paid 16 million in money for the drug hidden in the shoes, while the consignment concealed in the bags was planned for shipment to his partner in Italy.

He supposedly declared that he raised the cash from payment paid to him following an injury he sustained while operating at a plastic production business in Italy, where he lost the suggestions of 2 fingers.

Tourism Multi-Billion Naira Port Seizures

The airport interception was amongst a number of significant operations performed by the NDLEA throughout the nation, consisting of at the Apapa, Tincan Island and Onne ports, where officers obstructed big consignments of illegal drugs worth more than 5 billion.

At the Apapa Port in Lagos, NDLEA operatives, acting upon intelligence, subjected 2 containers stemming from Bangkok, Thailand, to 100 percent assessment in partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service and other stakeholders.

A search of among the containers on September 3 led to the healing of 161 parcels of Thai Loud weighing 124kg. The consignment, hid inside 2 fridges and 2 containers, was valued at 372 million.

At the Onne Port in Rivers State, 2 containers put on the company’s watch list following intelligence went through a joint evaluation.

The NDLEA stated 40 packs of Loud weighing 22kg were discovered hidden in a taking a trip bag and 3 of 5 lorries– a Toyota Matrix, Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra– delivered in among the containers.

The 2nd container consisted of 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440 kg.

According to the company, the container stemmed from India and was at first delivered to Saudi Arabia, where info about its origin was erased in an obvious effort to avoid it from being targeted.

The NDLEA stated the Loud and codeine consignments obstructed at Onne had a combined street worth of 833.2 million.

At the Tincan Island Port in Lagos, operatives on September 29 performed a joint assessment of a watch-listed container from Montreal, Canada, along with Customs and other stakeholders.

The search resulted in the discovery of 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5 kg. The consignment, hidden in a Toyota Sienna and Hyundai Elantra, along with 24 blue drums and 6 jumbo bags, was valued at more than 3.8 billion.

Tourism Marijuana Farms, Drug Warehouses Raided

The NDLEA likewise reported significant seizures and arrests in other parts of the nation.

In Osun State, operatives damaged 20,234 kg of skunk discovered on 8.0936 hectares of marijuana farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area, on September 30.

In Plateau State, a 41-year-old suspect, Agbo Dennis, was jailed on September 29 at the West of Mines location of Jos North following the seizure of 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives robbed a vacant substance at Divine Estate, Ago Palace, on September 28 and recuperated 209,000 tablets of tramadol.

A follow-up operation in the Ladipo Spare Parts Market on September 30 likewise resulted in the arrest of 23-year-old Ekundayo Taiwo.

The arrest followed the seizure of 61 grammes of Colorado, an artificial stress of marijuana, and 24 grammes of methamphetamine hidden in a bottle of an energy beverage and sent out as a waybill bundle through a business bus motorist taking a trip along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

In Kogi State, NDLEA officers on patrol along the Okene-Lokoja Highway obstructed a Lagos-Abuja commuter bus on September 30 and found a waybill including 2 sachets of methamphetamine weighing 1kg.

A follow-up examination resulted in the arrest of the supposed owner of the consignment, 29-year-old Michael Chukwuememka Uzoma, at Utako, Abuja.

In Edo State, the house of 35-year-old Saturday Omimi at Uyere neighborhood, Ovia North-East Local Government Area, was robbed on October 2, causing the healing of 32.2 kg of marijuana sativa.

The very same day, 23-year-old Osazuwa Iyabor Michael was detained at Auchi Bypass, Benin City, with 59 grammes of Loud, 12 grammes of Colorado, 19 grammes of tramadol, 16 grammes of methamphetamine, 4 grammes of Swinol and 4 grammes of Molly.

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Tourism Fugitive Arrested After Six Years

The NDLEA likewise revealed the arrest of 47-year-old Idris Mohammed Kurra, who had actually been desired for 6 years after leaping bail in a drug trafficking case.

Kurra was jailed on September 29. He was dealing with trial before the Federal High Court in Jos, Plateau State, over declared belongings and handling 198kg of skunk.

The company stated he had actually been approved bail in December 2020 however consequently absconded and averted arrest up until his current apprehension.

Beyond seizures and arrests, NDLEA commands and developments throughout the nation continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation projects in schools, praise centres, work environments and neighborhoods.

The firm stated current programs were held at St. Paul’s Secondary School, Oji, Enugu; Olu-Odo Primary School, Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Lagos; Government Junior Secondary School, Tsamiya, Kano; Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti; and Government Science Secondary School, Lokoja, Kogi State, to name a few.

Applauding officers and guys of the MMIA, Apapa, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, Edo, Bauchi, Plateau and Osun Commands for what he referred to as professionalism and intelligence-driven operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), advised workers to sustain the pressure on drug trafficking networks.

Marwa likewise directed officers throughout the nation to keep the firm’s well balanced method to drug control, integrating enforcement operations with avoidance, sensitisation and other procedures targeted at dealing with the illegal drug trade.