NDLEA intercepts cocaine hidden in dry stock fish, UK-bound drugs in automobile parts

The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a large consignment of cocaine concealed in heads of imported dry stock fish in the Ojo area of Lagos State.

The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this via a statement issued on Sunday, March 29, 2026.

Babafemi noted that the operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command of the NDLEA, while acting on an intelligence, intercepted the cocaine on March 19.

Babafemi said three jumbo-sized bags were found in possession of the suspected kingpin, 36-year-old Akputa Dickson Ejike, adding that a search of the bags led to the recovery of 237 wraps of cocaine concealed in the heads of imported dry stock fish locally known as ‘Okporoko’.

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“The cocaine pellets have a gross weight of 5.80 kilograms. The consignment was intended for export to Delhi, India,” he stated.

He said the NDLEA operatives, in another operation in Lagos on March 25, intercepted two illicit consignments heading to the United Kingdom at a courier company.

Babafemi said one of the shipments that originated from Cotonou, Benin Republic, contains 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in automobile filters, while the second parcel contains 40 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate and nine ampoules of Fentanyl.

He quoted the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), as commending the anti-narcotic officers for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

The Star