Over a span of three weeks, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) conducted a series of intelligence-driven operations throughout Lagos, successfully dismantling two prominent drug trafficking networks responsible for smuggling six separate shipments of cocaine. These narcotics were ndlea-arrests-indian-businessman-3-others-3-9bn-tramadol-lagos-airport/” title=”… Busts Indian Businessman and Three Others Smuggling N3.9bn Worth of Tramadol at Lagos Airport”>cleverly hidden inside the walls of stainless steel cups, containers of body cream, and hair gel. The crackdown resulted in the arrest of five individuals, culminating in the capture of the cartel’s ringleader, Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode, who poses as a businessman and real estate investor.
A statement from NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, revealed that the syndicate’s downfall began on September 16, 2025, when officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja intercepted 174 parcels of cocaine weighing 13.40 kilograms. These were concealed within the walls of cocoa butter body cream containers. A cargo handler was immediately detained. Further investigations identified Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode as the orchestrator behind this shipment. Intelligence gathered over subsequent weeks uncovered that Ode had reported a dispute at the Zone 2 Police headquarters in Lagos, prompting the NDLEA to collaborate with the police to secure his arrest.
During initial questioning, Alhaji Hammed Ode confessed to owning the seized consignment, claiming he purchased it for over N150 million. He described himself as a businessman and property developer who returned from the United Kingdom in 2024. Prior to settling in the UK, he spent more than 27 years living across various European countries, including Austria, the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Saudi Arabia.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the MMIA Strategic Command foiled five additional attempts by another drug syndicate to export cocaine to the United Kingdom. The investigation began on September 26 with the seizure of 2.10 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside hair cream containers at the airport’s export shed.
The arrest of a cargo agent led to the capture of Smith David Korede, a furniture craftsman, on September 30 at his residence on 3 Arowojobe Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos. Authorities recovered another 1.40 kilograms of cocaine intended for export to the UK from his home. On the same day, a separate shipment containing 1.00 kilogram of cocaine, concealed similarly, was intercepted at the airport. The cargo agent linked to this seizure identified Smith David Korede as the consignor, connecting three cocaine shipments to him.
On October 2, NDLEA officers intercepted two more cocaine shipments destined for the UK at the MMIA export shed. Two suspects, Ogunbiyi Oluseye Taiwo and Popoola Francis Olumuyiwa, were arrested in connection with these seizures. One shipment contained crayfish and 12 stainless steel cups used to hide 1.00 kilogram of cocaine, while the other included crayfish and 36 hair cream containers concealing 1.60 kilograms of cocaine.
In a separate operation, NDLEA agents thwarted an attempt by another criminal group to smuggle 6.3 kilograms of Loud, a potent cannabis strain, into Lagos. The drugs were hidden inside bedsheets and hibiscus flowers shipped from Thailand and intercepted at courier companies. Additionally, a joint operation between NDLEA and Customs officials at a checkpoint along the Danbatta-Daura road in Kano on October 2 led to the arrest of 38-year-old Sa’adu Ali and the seizure of 290,450 tablets of tramadol 250mg and pregabalin capsules.
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