The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a shipment of cocaine concealed in 20 sets of religious books destined for Saudi Arabia.
The agency said the illicit drug was discovered during a routine search of outbound cargo by its operatives.
According to a statement released on Sunday, April 20, by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the consignment, which contained 20 parcels of cocaine weighing a total of 500 grams, was uncovered on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
“The drugs were carefully hidden within the pages of religious books at a courier company in Lagos.”
The operation was carried out by officers from the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) who were screening export packages bound for Saudi Arabia.
Babafemi noted that the concealment method was particularly deceptive, as the books were outwardly innocent-looking religious texts.
“In another operation on the same day at a different courier company, NDLEA officers also intercepted five parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing 2.8 kilograms.
“The packages were hidden in a carton that had arrived from the United States, “Babafemi added.