NDLEA Foils International Drug Smuggling Ring, Seizes Cocaine and Tramadol Disguised as Prayer Beads and Clothes

By Achimi Muktar

In a dramatic crackdown, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a wave of illicit drug consignments bound for the United States, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Poland, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The carefully concealed narcotics—cocaine, tramadol, loud, molly, and skunk—were stashed in everyday items like prayer beads, board game packs, and even female clothing in a desperate attempt to evade detection.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, confirmed the arrests of two key suspects linked to the international smuggling operation. One of them, a 43-year-old businesswoman, was caught red-handed at the departure hall of Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) on March 8 while attempting to board an Air France flight to Italy. A thorough search of her luggage revealed 190 parcels of high-dose tramadol (225mg) and a parcel of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis. She later confessed to purchasing the drugs herself with the intent to sell them in Italy.

Three days later, on March 11, NDLEA operatives at MMIA’s export shed arrested a 60-year-old man trying to smuggle 400 grams of skunk hidden within garments in a package bound for New York, USA.

Meanwhile, officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) uncovered another sophisticated trafficking attempt. More than two kilograms of illicit drugs—including loud, molly, and high-strength tramadol—were discovered concealed inside Vitamin C bottles and women’s clothing, all en route to the U.S. via various logistics companies in Lagos.

In a further sting operation between March 10 and March 12, NDLEA operatives seized 230 grams of cocaine ingeniously hidden inside prayer beads, the soles of locally made shoes, and board game packs. These shipments were destined for Saudi Arabia, Poland, and the UAE.

Despite these enforcement successes, the NDLEA remains steadfast in its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, intensifying sensitisation campaigns across the country to curb the rising menace of drug trafficking and abuse.

With each bust, the agency continues to send a clear message to traffickers: no matter how creative their disguises, the law will always catch up with them.