January 5, 2026 | Lagos / Abuja, Nigeria — Dalena Reporters
In a major transnational drug enforcement operation, Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted multiple consignments of illicit narcotics concealed in coffee sachets and mail parcels, while also detaining 22 Indian crew members aboard a merchant vessel following the seizure of a large shipment of cocaine at Apapa Port, Lagos, the agency confirmed on Sunday.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said intelligence-led actions at a courier facility in Lagos city uncovered various illicit substances including Ketamine, Ecstasy and Tramadol pills hidden inside sachets of coffee mix and a book parcel destined for Zambia and the United Kingdom. These seizures were made on December 24 and 29, 2025, underscoring the sophisticated concealment tactics of international drug traffickers.
Simultaneously, NDLEA operatives acting at the GDNL terminal of Apapa Port on January 2, 2026, intercepted 31.5 kilograms of cocaine aboard the Marshall Islands-registered merchant vessel MV Aruna Hulya. In connection with the discovery, the agency took into custody 22 Indian crew members, including the vessel’s Master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, and 21 other sailors.
The detained Indians are alleged to be linked to the shipment found in hatch 3 of the vessel, prompting a comprehensive investigation into how the consignment was procured, handled and intended to be transported part of NDLEA’s ongoing crackdown on drug smuggling syndicates operating through Nigerian ports.
NDLEA’s operations also extended beyond Lagos. In Oyo State, officers arrested a 65-year-old woman identified as Fatima Ilori, known locally as “Mama Kerosine,” who is suspected of being a major illicit drug distributor in Ibadan, following the seizure of 238.4 kg of skunk (cannabis) linked to her.
Further enforcement actions in Borno State led to the disruption of a supply chain feeding illicit drugs to insurgent networks, with two alleged suppliers arrested and significant quantities of tramadol pills seized along strategic routes. These coordinated efforts reflect NDLEA’s intensified multi-front approach to combating drug trafficking and related criminal networks in Nigeria.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening surveillance at ports, courier services, and transit hubs areas frequently exploited by organized crime while continuing to pursue legal action against suspects and dismantle the broader smuggling infrastructure.