NDLEA seizes cocaine concealed in dried stockfish heads

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a substantial quantity of cocaine concealed inside the heads of imported dried stockfish.

Additionally, the agency apprehended a significant member of the network responsible for the global shipping of illegal drugs, especially to India.

In a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA's spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, noted that the dismantling of the syndicate was prompted by intelligence reports regarding their cross-border criminal activities.

This intelligence led to a meticulously coordinated operation by the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Strategic Command in the Ojo area of Lagos on Thursday, March 19.

During this operation, three oversized bags were reportedly seized from a suspect identified as Akputa Dickson Ejike.

According to Babafemi, the inspection of these bags uncovered 237 wraps of cocaine hidden inside the heads of imported dried stockfish, locally referred to as "Okporoko."

The cocaine, weighing a total of 5.80 kilograms, was intended for shipment to Delhi, India.

In a separate operation in Lagos the previous Wednesday, NDLEA agents from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) intercepted two illegal shipments at a courier service headed for the United Kingdom.

In one of the consignments arriving from Cotonou, Benin Republic, agents discovered 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden within automobile filters. The second shipment comprised 40 ampoules of Morphine Sulphate and nine ampoules of Fentanyl, as detailed by Babafemi.