By Our Correspondent

National News – Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered a cocaine shipment hidden inside imported dry stock fish, popularly known as “Okporoko,” during a coordinated operation in Lagos State.

The agency said the discovery was made on March 19, 2026, following intelligence reports about a trans-border drug trafficking network attempting to export illicit substances from Nigeria to India.

According to the NDLEA, the suspect, identified as 36-year-old Akputa Ejike, was arrested in the Ojo area of Lagos during a sting operation carried out by officers from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command.

Investigators said three jumbo bags found in the suspect’s possession contained 237 wraps of cocaine carefully concealed inside the heads of imported dry fish.

The agency disclosed that the cocaine pellets weighed about 5.80 kilograms and were intended for export to Delhi, India.

Authorities explained that the operation was part of ongoing intelligence-driven efforts to dismantle international drug trafficking syndicates using Nigeria as a transit point.

In a related operation on March 25, NDLEA operatives intercepted two suspicious consignments destined for the United Kingdom at a courier company in Lagos.

One shipment, which originated from 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.

Further enforcement actions led to the arrest of a suspected drug distribution leader, Omolade Abigail Jolayemi, popularly known as “Iya Ghana,” during a raid at Carter Street in Yaba, Lagos.

She was arrested alongside her sales assistant, Sarah Zainab Agbabiaka. Officers recovered 135 blocks of the cannabis strain known as “Ghana Loud,” weighing about 76.30 kilograms.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said the suspects allegedly operated a drug network between Nigeria and Ghana while posing as fabric traders.

Additional arrests and seizures were recorded in Ekiti, Ondo, Benue, Edo and Taraba states, where large quantities of skunk, methamphetamine and codeine syrup were confiscated.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations, noting that intelligence-led strategies remain key to reducing drug supply and combating trafficking networks targeting international markets.