ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have dismantled a social-media-driven drug distribution syndicate that concealed illicit substances inside imported Christmas-themed cookies, snack packages, and teddy bears, arresting two key suspects in Lagos.
This was revealed in a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, the syndicate allegedly brought in consignments of Canadian Loud, a potent cannabis strain, packaged in colourful designer sachets branded with cookie and snack labels.
Investigators said the labels were intentionally crafted to disguise the retail quantities of the psychoactive substance.
The network reportedly marketed and delivered the drugs through a WhatsApp platform.
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The NDLEA said, “Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have uncovered and dismantled a social media network used to distribute illicit drugs packaged as imported Christmas cookies and snacks, with two masterminds arrested after a raid on their hideout in the Lekki area of Lagos.
“The syndicate, run by the duo of Deji Adesanya and Olubiyi Majekodunmi, had imported consignments of Canadian Loud and a variety of colourful designer sachets printed with cookie and snack images, used to package the cannabis for retail sales.
“Acting on credible intelligence, operatives on Saturday, 22nd November 2025, raided their apartment on Ojulari Street, Ikate, Lekki, where a large quantity of the designer sachets and 5kg of Loud were recovered.”
In a separate Lagos operation, NDLEA officers arrested 38-year-old drug kingpin Philip Ucheka in Mushin as he received 110 pouches of Canadian Loud weighing 55.6kg.
Three delivery vehicles used for distribution were also seized.
“At a courier company in Lagos, 100 grams of Loud hidden inside a teddy bear imported from Thailand were intercepted on Thursday, 27th November. Another 548 capsules of tramadol concealed in Vitamin C and Magnesium bottles and bound for the United Kingdom were seized at a different logistics firm on Friday, 28th November,” the statement added.
In Oyo State, officers patrolling the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway arrested 55-year-old Wasiu Kareem with 8,000 ampoules of pentazocine, 590 bottles of codeine syrup, 1,500 Co-codamol pills, and 9,900 tramadol capsules.
In Ondo State, seven suspects were arrested after NDLEA operatives raided the Ipe forest in Akoko South-East, recovering 3,077kg of skunk.
Those arrested include John Ede, Ede Ndubuisi, Ikenna Abe, Eze Chukwuma, Maduabuchi Odo, Nnaji Chudubem and George Okowor.
In Kogi State, 49-year-old Anthony Sylvester was arrested along the Okene-Lokoja highway while transporting 649kg of skunk in a truck.
The same day, officers at the Seme Special Area Command raided a warehouse in the Ashipa area of Badagry, Lagos, arresting 33-year-old Abubakar Shuaibu with 487 blocks of skunk weighing 243.5kg.
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Along the Zaria-Kano Road in Kano State, operatives arrested 47-year-old Tsalha Alasan with 137kg of skunk on Monday, 24th November.
Meanwhile, in Bauchi State, three suspects; Godspower Appeal, 50; Ernest Upong, 55; and Godday Chukwudi, 38; were arrested in Fanshanu village, Toro LGA, with 322 blocks of skunk weighing 209kg. A Toyota Highlander (ABJ 533 EA) used for transportation was seized.
NDLEA officers also arrested 51-year-old John Ekojo with 210.15kg of skunk along the Abuja-Jos highway.
Additionally, a couple, 45-year-old Abdullahi Abubakar and 35-year-old Jamila Abdullahi, were intercepted on the Abuja-Kaduna highway with 725 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition concealed in a sack of maize.
On Friday, 28th November, 20-year-old Awwal Sabiu was caught at the Abuja-Kaduna tollgate with 400 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.