NDLEA foils drug smuggling to US, UK, DRC hidden in frozen snails, bulbs

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted several consignments of illicit drugs cleverly concealed in frozen snails, electrical bulbs, and female clothing on their way to the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

According to a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, two suspects linked to the smuggling attempts have already been arrested.

“One of them, a cargo agent Boladale Riliwan was arrested on 7th October 2025 following the discovery of 15 parcels of skunk, a strain of cannabis, concealed in 10 pieces of giant rechargeable electrical bulbs he presented in a carton for airfreight to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at the export shed of the Lagos airport.

“Another suspect in custody is 48-year-old Olawale Oyebola Hakeemot who is a UK-based Public Health Assistant. She was arrested on Sunday 12th October at the departure hall of terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja following the discovery of frozen snails used to conceal 2,300 pills of tramadol 225mg in her luggage while heading to Manchester, United Kingdom, on a Qatar Airways flight,” the statement said.

The agency also disclosed that officers at a Lagos courier firm foiled another export attempt on Thursday, 16th October, when they uncovered 810 pills of bromazepam hidden in women’s clothes bound for the United States.

“In Adamawa, a suspect Bello Buba was intercepted at an NDLEA check point in Namtari, Yola South LGA with 38,270 pills of tramadol concealed in the spare tyre, boot, and door compartments of his Honda Civic car he drove all the way from Benin Republic to smuggle the consignment into Nigeria on Sunday 12th October.

‎‎”Not less than 53,250 kilograms of skunk were destroyed on 21.3 hectares of cannabis farm in Ilawe Ekiti, Ekiti state, with 70 bags of the same psychoactive substance weighing 1,140kg recovered by NDLEA operatives during an operation that lasted between Sunday 12th and Monday 13th October. Suspects arrested include: Matthew Emmanuel, 26; James Moses, 27; and Israel Samuel, 20.

“This followed the destruction of 17,400kg skunk on 6.96 hectares of plantation by NDLEA operatives at Aponmu forest reserve, Akure, Ondo state on Sunday 12th October.”‎In Oyo state, Aliyu Muhammed, 50; Babarinde Segun, 32; Ogunbiyi Sanjo, 30; and Ajani Oluro, 30, were nabbed with 596kg skunk at Apata-Ako, Igboora, while Jacob Afolabi, 30, and Salako Oluwatobi, 25, were arrested with 273kg of same substance at Odo-Oyan, Igangan, on Thursday 16th October,” the statement added.