Shock as NDLEA uncovers drugs hidden inside water purifiers shipped from Europe

Summary

• NDLEA operatives intercepted 3 kg of ketamine and 199g of ecstasy hidden inside water purifiers shipped from the Netherlands.

• Coordinated raids in Kaduna led to the arrest of a couple and the seizure of 1,246 kg of skunk.

• Security forces intercepted a suspect transporting 380 rounds of military-grade live ammunition to Katsina.

• Ongoing nationwide operations yielded massive hauls of pharmaceutical opioids, tramadol, and illicit cannabis.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered a drug smuggling attempt involving water purifier machines shipped from Europe to Lagos.

The discovery was made on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, during a routine inspection at a logistics and courier company in Lagos State. 

Officers found the drugs hidden inside imported household appliances sent from the Netherlands. 

The consignment contained 3 kilograms of ketamine and 199 grams of MDMA, also known as ecstasy. The drugs were carefully concealed within the internal parts of the machines.

The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the seizure in a statement from Abuja. 

He said the operation was part of a wider effort to dismantle international drug trafficking networks that use creative concealment methods to bypass security checks at ports.

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Following the Lagos interception, NDLEA operatives carried out coordinated raids in several states.

In Kaduna State, officers raided a house in the Gonin Gora area on May 24. They recovered 100 jumbo bags of skunk, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing 1,246 kilograms. 

Three suspects were arrested: Musa Sunday, Mercy Sunday, and Salomi Ezekiel, aged 38. They were allegedly using the property as a storage site for illegal drugs.

On the same day, along the Abuja–Kaduna Motorway near Jere, highway patrol officers intercepted a 30-year-old man, Sunusi Musa. 

He was found with 380 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition. He was reportedly transporting the ammunition to Katsina State. Due to the seriousness of the case, he and the ammunition were handed over to military authorities for further investigation.

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In Niger State, NDLEA operatives acted on intelligence on May 27 and raided a warehouse in Gidan Kukah, Bosso Local Government Area.

They discovered 457 kilograms of skunk. Another arrest followed in Minna, where 46-year-old Godwin Zakka was picked up at his home in Gbeganu.

In Enugu State on May 28, officers stopped a commercial bus travelling from Taraba along the Onitsha–Enugu Expressway. 

A search of the vehicle revealed large quantities of pharmaceutical drugs, including 22,000 tramadol pills, 100 ampoules of pentazocine, and 200 grammes of bromazepam. The courier, James Maigari Wisdom, was arrested.

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Reacting to the operations, the NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Buba Marwa, praised officers across the country for their efforts. 

He said the agency would continue its strong enforcement actions alongside public awareness campaigns under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) programme.

Marwa added that traffickers would find no safe space in Nigeria as the agency continues to intensify its operations.

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