‘I Paid N16m For Cocaine’ — NDLEA Arrests Italy-Bound Businessman At Lagos Airport
Daud Olatunji
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 38-year-old businessman, Philip Tunde, over the alleged trafficking of 4.80 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in shoes and travelling bags at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Tunde was arrested on September 27, 2026, at the joint screening point of Terminal 2 while allegedly preparing to board a Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy.
The NDLEA said its operatives discovered the suspected cocaine after subjecting the passenger’s luggage to a thorough search.
According to the agency, 16 parcels of a white powdery substance were concealed in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes, while another 195 wraps were allegedly hidden in the railings of four travelling bags.
The substance reportedly tested positive for cocaine, with a combined weight of 4.80kg.
The NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Babafemi said the suspect allegedly told investigators that he paid N16m in cash for the cocaine concealed in the shoes.
Tunde also allegedly stated that the consignment hidden in the travelling bags was intended for delivery to his business partner in Italy.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that the money used to purchase the cocaine came from compensation he received after sustaining an injury while working at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy.
He allegedly said he lost the tips of two fingers in the workplace accident.
The arrest was part of a series of operations in which the NDLEA said it intercepted large quantities of illicit drugs at seaports and in several states.
At the Apapa Port, Lagos, the agency said 161 parcels of Thai Loud, a high-potency cannabis strain, weighing 124kg and valued at N372m, were recovered from a container originating from Bangkok, Thailand.
The cannabis was allegedly concealed inside two refrigerators and two cartons.
At the Onne Port, Rivers State, NDLEA operatives reportedly recovered 22kg of Loud from one watch-listed container and 109,600 bottles of codeine-based cough syrup weighing 16,440kg from another.
The agency valued the two consignments at N833.2m.
At the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, operatives reportedly seized 2,595 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 1,297.5kg and valued at more than N3.8bn from a container originating from Montreal, Canada.
The agency said the cannabis was concealed in two vehicles, 24 blue drums and six jumbo bags.
The NDLEA also reported the destruction of 20,234kg of cannabis, locally known as skunk, cultivated on an 8.0936-hectare farm in Area 4, Ife South Local Government Area of Osun State.
In Plateau State, a 41-year-old suspect, Agbo Dennis, was arrested after 33 bags of skunk weighing 385kg were allegedly recovered from him.
