Operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted 5.80 kilograms of cocaine concealed in imported stockfish and arrested a suspected syndicate kingpin in Lagos.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to a statement by the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the seizure followed intelligence on a trans-border drug trafficking network involved in shipping illicit drugs abroad, particularly to India.
Babafemi said the breakthrough came after a “well-coordinated sting operation” carried out by operatives of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command in the Ojo area of Lagos on March 19, 2026.
During the operation, officials arrested a 36-year-old suspect identified as Akputa Dickson Ejike, described as the syndicate’s kingpin. Three large bags found in his possession contained 237 wraps of cocaine carefully hidden inside the heads of imported dry stockfish, locally known as “okporoko.”
“The smashing of the drug syndicate followed intelligence on their trans-border criminal activities,” the statement said.
NDLEA revealed that the seized cocaine weighed 5.80kg and was intended for export to Delhi, India.
In related operations, the agency also intercepted other drug consignments bound for the United Kingdom, including methamphetamine hidden in automobile parts, as well as morphine and fentanyl in separate parcels.
The agency added that raids across Lagos and other states led to additional arrests and seizures of large quantities of illicit substances, as part of its ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking networks nationwide.
