The NDLEA cocaine seizure has uncovered two unusual attempts to smuggle the drug out of Nigeria, with cocaine hidden inside female lipsticks and a property document bound for the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed the seizures on Sunday, saying officers from its Directorate of Operations and General Investigation attached to a courier company in Lagos made the discoveries on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
The seizures came during checks on consignments being prepared for export, stopping the drugs before they could leave Nigeria.
NDLEA Cocaine Seizure at Lagos Courier Company
According to NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, officers discovered two separate consignments during routine checks at the logistics company.
The first consignment contained 420 grams of cocaine factory-fitted into 84 pieces of female lipsticks. The cosmetics were being prepared for shipment to the United Kingdom.
The second consignment contained 280 grams of cocaine concealed inside a property title document, specifically a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), and was destined for Saudi Arabia.
Babafemi said both consignments were intercepted while the cargoes were still being prepared for shipment and had not yet been dispatched. That meant the drugs were stopped before reaching the international courier network and ultimately leaving Nigerian territory.
NDLEA Cocaine Seizure Highlights Saudi Arabia Route
The seizure involving the Saudi Arabia-bound property document is similar to several other cases recorded by the NDLEA involving unusual concealment methods.
In April, the agency intercepted 500 grammes of cocaine hidden in 20 sets of religious books at a courier company in Lagos. About a week later, officers found another consignment of cocaine concealed in religious books bound for Saudi Arabia.
In another case, several wraps of cocaine were hidden inside bottles of body lotion destined for the same country. Other seizures recorded by the agency include 230 grams of cocaine concealed in prayer beads, the soles of locally made shoes and board game packs.
The consignments were destined for Saudi Arabia, Poland and the United Arab Emirates between March 10 and March 12. In October 2023, the NDLEA also intercepted 2.5kg of cocaine and phenacetin concealed inside the walls of a carton heading to Saudi Arabia. Another 583 grams of cocaine and phenacetin was found packed inside a bottle of body cream bound for the same destination.
The repeated cases have made courier shipments to Saudi Arabia an area of particular concern for drug enforcement officers.
NDLEA Expands Crackdown on Trafficking Networks
The July 3 NDLEA cocaine seizure was part of a wider series of operations announced by the agency. Babafemi also announced the arrest of Ajetsibo Emami, popularly known as “Warri Kinsman”, in Ikeja, Lagos, on Saturday, June 28, following a three-day operation.
The operation targeted his alleged trafficking network and resulted in the seizure of 24 jumbo bags containing 681 pouches of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 414.2 kilograms.
According to the NDLEA, the consignment was being moved to the Lekki area of Lagos for distribution within the state and other parts of the country. The agency also reported the discovery of a family-run drug distribution network in Lagos.
A businessman, Ajah Johnson Uchenna, his wife Rosemary, their daughters Stella and Ngozi, and a family friend, Okoro Elijah, were taken into custody following investigations into the alleged operation.
The couple had earlier been arrested on June 13 by Department of State Services (DSS) operatives in Ojo with 277.5kg of skunk before being handed over to the NDLEA.
Further intelligence led officers to the other members of the group. The agency said the daughters and family friend continued operating from the family home, prompting another raid on July 1, during which 231kg of skunk was recovered.
NDLEA Combines Enforcement With Drug Awareness
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), has continued to emphasise the importance of tackling drug trafficking while also addressing drug demand through public education. The agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign has continued in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities across the country.
Recent WADA lectures were held at U.P.E School Ilara Epe in Lagos, Government Day Secondary School Jigalambu in Adamawa, Agbegi and High Grammar School Dekina in Kogi, Capital City Secondary School Awka in Anambra, and Eso-Obe Comprehensive High School Ikoro Ekiti in Ekiti State.
The combination of enforcement and public sensitisation remains a major part of the agency’s response as traffickers continue to look for new ways to conceal illegal drugs.
The latest cases show just how different those methods can be, with cocaine hidden in cosmetics, property documents, body cream and religious books.
NDLEA Cocaine Seizure Puts Courier Firms on Alert
The repeated discovery of drugs in courier consignments is also putting greater pressure on logistics companies to strengthen their screening and compliance procedures. NDLEA officers attached to courier firms in Lagos carry out checks on export cargoes, and the July 3 seizures were made during one of those screening operations.
For legitimate exporters, the cases highlight the importance of knowing what is being shipped and who is behind a consignment. The NDLEA has also continued to warn members of the public about accepting suspicious offers to send seemingly harmless packages abroad, particularly when the sender promises quick financial rewards.
NDLEA Investigation Into UK and Saudi Arabia Shipments
Investigations into the two consignments are continuing as the NDLEA works to establish who owned the packages and who was expected to receive them in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. The agency had not released the names of suspects directly linked to the lipstick and C of O consignments at the time of the announcement.
Officials are expected to continue working with international partners and courier companies as investigations into drug trafficking routes and concealment methods continue.
The 420 grams of cocaine found inside lipsticks and the 280 grams hidden in a Certificate of Occupancy have added two more unusual cases to the NDLEA’s growing list of intercepted drug consignments.For traffickers, the seizures are another indication that attempts to disguise cocaine as ordinary goods can still come under scrutiny during cargo screening.
