Agents from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended an Indian entrepreneur, Gupta Ravi Kumar, alongside three Nigerian associates-Ogunlana Noah Olanrewaju, Olushola Idrees Kayode, and Bakare Korede Muheeb-at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos. They were found in possession of 2,248,000 tramadol tablets, valued at approximately N3.9 billion on the street.
According to a statement released on Sunday in Abuja by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy, the illicit tramadol consignment originated from Delhi, India. It was cleverly concealed as multi-vitamins within 114 cartons and arrived at the Lagos airport’s import shed aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on Monday, 8th September 2025.
Babafemi explained that the seizure occurred after NDLEA officers placed the shipment under close watch. The team intercepted a clearing agent and two truck drivers attempting to transport the cargo out of the airport on Thursday, 11th September.
“A subsequent operation the next day led to the arrest of Gupta Ravi Kumar as he tried to collect the shipment,” the NDLEA spokesperson added.
Earlier, on Sunday, 7th September, NDLEA operatives at Terminal Two’s departure gate stopped a passenger, Onyeganochi Stanley Ifeanyi, who was scheduled to fly to Doha via Qatar Airways.
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Upon searching his luggage, officers discovered 900 grams of lagos/” title=”Widow…s Fake Pregnancy Scheme to Smuggle Cocaine Foiled by NDLEA in …”>ndlea-raids-taraba-cannabis-farm-destroys-178750kg/” title=”… Strikes Big: Destroys Massive 178,750kg … Farm Spanning 71.5 Hectares in Taraba”>skunk cannabis cleverly hidden inside crayfish. Onyeganochi, a first-time traveler, claimed the bag was entrusted to him by a Qatar-based Nigerian, Ohadiegwu Anthony Uchenna, who was present at the airport.
His admission led to Uchenna’s arrest. A search of Uchenna’s hotel room in Ajao Estate uncovered an additional 200 grams of the same drug. Uchenna revealed plans to return to Doha soon and retrieve the bag from Onyeganochi, assuming he bypassed security checks.
At Lagos’ Tincan port, authorities uncovered 161 parcels containing 81.7kg of Canadian Loud cannabis and 1.2kg of hashish oil hidden within a 40-foot container filled with vehicle spare parts and used cars imported from Montreal, Canada. The seizure took place during a joint inspection on Tuesday, 9th September. Two suspects, John Ochigbo (53) and Okeke Kingsley (26), were detained in connection with this bust.
Another shipment of Canadian Loud weighing 65kg was traced from the port to the Third Mainland Bridge, where NDLEA agents intercepted a Toyota Sienna transporting the drugs. The driver, Abubakar Ibrahim, 42, was arrested on Thursday, 11th September.
In separate incidents at two Lagos courier firms, NDLEA officers seized methamphetamine and cannabis concealed in everyday items. On Monday, 8th September, six grams of methamphetamine hidden inside a picture frame destined for Gabon were confiscated. On Thursday, 11th September, 1.1kg of Loud cannabis concealed within video players was intercepted, bound for the United Arab Emirates.
Acting on intelligence, NDLEA operatives raided a clandestine factory in Ikorodu on Thursday, 11th September, where they discovered a new psychoactive concoction called “skuchies,” a mixture of cannabis and blackcurrant drink. The raid yielded 6,029 bottles of the substance and 4,232kg of cannabis. The factory manager, Joy Awosika, was arrested. On the same day, another suspect, Akeem Oriola, was apprehended in Mushin with 26kg of skunk cannabis.
