Operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of illicit drugs concealed in body cream containers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, exposing a fresh attempt by traffickers to evade security checks.
Gatekeepers News reports that the agency uncovered opioids and methamphetamine hidden in unusual items including body cream containers, winter jackets, and carton walls during operations at the airport.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said two suspects were arrested while attempting to smuggle drugs abroad. One of them, identified as Friday Ehianuka, was intercepted on March 20 while boarding a flight to Rome with 2,698 pills of tramadol concealed inside skin-lightening cream containers.
Babafemi added that the suspect, who resides in Italy, confessed he was promised payment in euros upon successful delivery of the drugs.
In a separate operation, another suspect, Christian Agbonhese, was arrested at the airport departure hall with a large quantity of tramadol and other opioids hidden in winter jackets.
The agency also reported additional seizures at a Lagos courier firm, where parcels of a strong strain of cannabis known as “Loud” were intercepted, alongside methamphetamine concealed in carton walls destined for export.
Beyond Lagos, NDLEA said it recorded multiple arrests and drug recoveries across several states, including Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory, as part of intensified nationwide operations against drug trafficking.
