{"id":100130,"date":"2026-09-07T16:24:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T16:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=100130"},"modified":"2026-09-07T16:37:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T16:37:54","slug":"herbal-tea-merchant-unmasked-as-convicted-cocaine-trafficker-as-ndlea-smashes-drug-network-across-nine-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=100130","title":{"rendered":"Herbal Tea Merchant Unmasked as Convicted Cocaine Trafficker as NDLEA Smashes Drug Network Across Nine States"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u25cf Agency seizes 20,000-litre drug tanker, over 1.9m opioid pills, tonnes of cannabis, methamphetamine and cocaine in nationwide crackdown<\/strong><\/p>\n

The herbal tea business was a fa\u00e7ade. Behind it, investigators say, lurked a convicted cocaine trafficker who had reinvented himself and allegedly returned to the deadly trade.<\/p>\n

But his cover finally collapsed.<\/p>\n

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 34-year-old Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu, a convicted cocaine trafficker accused of masterminding drug shipments to Saudi Arabia, as operatives simultaneously dismantled major drug networks and intercepted massive consignments of illicit substances across Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu states.<\/p>\n

The sweeping operation yielded a staggering haul \u2014 including cocaine, methamphetamine, cannabis, tramadol, codeine and other psychotropic substances \u2014 as well as a 20,000-litre fuel tanker secretly modified with a false compartment to transport cannabis.<\/p>\n

From phone chargers to a Saudi-bound cocaine shipment<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ebubechukwu’s downfall began with a 1.2kg cocaine consignment intercepted at a courier company in Lagos on July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

The cocaine, concealed inside phone chargers, was bound for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n

Rather than close the case with the seizure, operatives of the NDLEA Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) began a painstaking intelligence operation to identify the person behind the shipment.<\/p>\n

Their trail eventually led them to Article Market, opposite Trade Fair Market, in the Ojo area of Lagos.<\/p>\n

There, on Friday, September 4, the suspect was arrested in a sting operation while allegedly posing as a herbal tea businessman.<\/p>\n

In his statement, Ebubechukwu reportedly admitted masterminding previous illicit drug shipments. He also disclosed that he threw away his telephone SIM card after learning that the latest cocaine consignment had been intercepted.<\/p>\n

Investigators later searched his residence at 6 Yemishola Street, Ejigbo, Lagos, where they recovered phone chargers similar to those allegedly used to conceal the cocaine. Their internal components had been removed, leaving cavities that could be used to hide drugs.<\/p>\n

A familiar face to NDLEA<\/strong><\/p>\n

The agency said the suspect’s arrest brought to light a history stretching back more than a decade.<\/p>\n

Ebubechukwu was first arrested in 2011 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, after allegedly ingesting 900 grams of cocaine and 130 grams of heroin in an attempt to travel to Austria.<\/p>\n

He was prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to five years in prison.<\/p>\n

But according to the NDLEA, prison did not end his involvement in the illicit trade.<\/p>\n

The agency said he subsequently changed his name from Dunu Chukwuyenre Enoch to Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu – and allegedly returned to drug trafficking.<\/p>\n

Billion-naira opioid haul at Lagos airport<\/strong><\/p>\n

While the investigation unfolded, NDLEA operatives at the Lagos airport struck another major blow.<\/p>\n

They intercepted 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg, valued at more than N1.1 billion, concealed among thrift trousers in a 21-carton consignment shipped from Pakistan.<\/p>\n

In another operation, officers recovered 57.80kg of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis with a street value put at more than N173 million.<\/p>\n

The substance had been hidden inside cartons of disposable hand gloves in a shipment from Singapore that had remained unclaimed for weeks before a joint examination involving NDLEA officers, Customs and other security agencies on September 3.<\/p>\n

Tanker chase ends in 2.1-tonne cannabis discovery<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then came one of the most audacious discoveries of the week.<\/p>\n

A 20,000-litre fuel tanker, marked MKA 960 XC, allegedly known for evading arrest, came under pursuit along the Akoko\/Lokoja Expressway in Ondo State on September 4 after its driver refused to stop.<\/p>\n

The chase ended at a church premises in Ugbe Akoko, where the driver abandoned the tanker and disappeared into the bush.<\/p>\n

But the vehicle could not escape inspection.<\/p>\n

Inside, NDLEA operatives uncovered a false compartment containing 165 bags of cannabis weighing 2,145kg, concealed alongside the legitimate fuel cargo reportedly destined for Jos, Plateau State.<\/p>\n

Drug-laced cookies intercepted again at Tincan Port<\/strong><\/p>\n

The crackdown also reopened a major trail at Lagos’ Tincan Port.<\/p>\n

Barely a month after the arrest of Yashim Dauji, Larry Ifeanyi and Joseph Moji over the seizure of 842.54kg of cannabis-laced cookies, NDLEA officers intercepted another 598.08kg \u2014 890 packets \u2014 of similarly infused cookies and gummies on September 2.<\/p>\n

The latest consignment was discovered inside a 40-foot container and linked to the suspects already in custody.<\/p>\n

Adamawa: opioids, methamphetamine and another massive seizure<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Adamawa, the crackdown produced another huge haul.<\/p>\n

On September 4, NDLEA patrol officers operating along the Damilu-Jambutu axis in Jimeta, Yola North Local Government Area, recovered 864,000 opioid pills, particularly tramadol, from a residence linked to a fleeing suspect identified as Patrick KC Frank.<\/p>\n

The suspect reportedly rammed his Honda Civic into an NDLEA patrol vehicle before escaping.<\/p>\n

In Michika, operatives arrested 35-year-old Calistus Ebubechukwu, described by the agency as a major methamphetamine supplier operating from Lagos to the Mubi and Michika axis. He was arrested with 2kg of methamphetamine.<\/p>\n

At Namtari checkpoint in Mubi on August 31, operatives also intercepted Attahiru Hussaini with a large consignment of tramadol and other opioids concealed inside a soap-laden Ford Galaxy bus marked JJM-953XD.<\/p>\n

Lagos operations yield tonnes of cannabis and cocaine<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lagos itself remained a major battlefield.<\/p>\n

On September 4, NDLEA operatives recovered 2,386.9kg of cannabis, 350 grams of cocaine, more than 100kg of assorted grades of tramadol, 9.7 litres of codeine syrup and 4kg of Rohypnol in the Gbaji area.<\/p>\n

At Agbara, two suspects, Damilare Francis and Emeh Emmanuel, were arrested with another 720kg of cannabis.<\/p>\n

Cannabis hidden in chicken manure<\/strong><\/p>\n

On the Okene\/Lokoja highway in Kogi State, traffickers allegedly tried an unusual disguise.<\/p>\n

NDLEA operatives arrested Saidu Mustapha, 35; Zaharadeen Salisu, 29; and AbdulSalam Abdullahi, 25, after discovering 636kg of cannabis concealed in chicken manure aboard a bus travelling from Owo, Ondo State, to Jos, Plateau State.<\/p>\n

Taraba haul: a cocktail of dangerous drugs<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Taraba, 58-year-old Kelechi Unachukwu was arrested along Zaki-Biam Road in Wukari Local Government Area.<\/p>\n

His Toyota Corolla, marked KUJ-333BT, was allegedly transporting more than 109kg of assorted pharmaceutical and psychotropic substances, including tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine, phenobarbital, Exol-5, nitrazepam, bromazepam and pregabalin.<\/p>\n

The consignment was reportedly being conveyed from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Yola, Adamawa State.<\/p>\n

Kaduna truck packed with cement \u2014 and cannabis<\/strong><\/p>\n

Along the Zaria-Kano Expressway in Kaduna, NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck loaded with bags of cement.<\/p>\n

But beneath the legitimate cargo lay something far more sinister: 1,179kg of skunk.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in a follow-up operation in Bauchi, 25-year-old Hamza Dahiru was arrested following the seizure of 322.5kg of cannabis at Deba town in Gombe State on September 1.<\/p>\n

Cannabis farm destroyed in Ekiti<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives uncovered and destroyed a four-hectare cannabis farm in the Efon-Alaaye forest.<\/p>\n

Two suspects, Chuks Alex, 50, and Asafa Adekunle, 35, were arrested, while 117kg of already-harvested skunk was recovered.<\/p>\n

In Enugu, the operation continued into September 5, when 20-year-old Obinna David was arrested at Ugbema Junction with 40,590 capsules of tramadol.<\/p>\n

NDLEA keeps WADA campaign running<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beyond seizures and arrests, the agency said its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign remained active nationwide.<\/p>\n

Commands and formations conducted sensitisation programmes in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities.<\/p>\n

Among the engagements were an enlightenment lecture for nursing mothers and nurses at Ibereko Primary Health Centre, Abeokuta North, Ogun State; a session with youths of the Umouji\/Okwo community in Olokoro, Umuahia South LGA, Abia State; and an awareness programme for NLNG staff and concessionaires at the Saipem-Daewoo, NLNG terminal in Bonny LGA, Rivers State.<\/p>\n

Marwa: Changing names won’t save traffickers<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Mohammed Marwa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Commending the officers and men involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman\/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), praised the professionalism and intelligence-led approach of personnel attached to DOGI, MMIA, Ondo, Tincan, Lagos, Adamawa, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu Commands.<\/p>\n

Marwa urged personnel nationwide to sustain what he described as the agency’s balanced approach to drug control.<\/p>\n

His message to traffickers was blunt: changing identities or hiding behind legitimate businesses will not guarantee safety.<\/p>\n

For the man who allegedly swapped a prison record for a herbal tea business, the lesson came sharply and finally \u2014 the cover may change, but the trail remains.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u25cf Agency seizes 20,000-litre drug tanker, over 1.9m opioid pills, tonnes of cannabis, methamphetamine and cocaine in nationwide crackdown The herbal tea business was a fa\u00e7ade. Behind it, investigators say, lurked a convicted cocaine trafficker who had reinvented himself and allegedly returned to the deadly trade. But his cover finally collapsed. The National Drug Law […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":100133,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1128,8662,1297,8663,3820],"class_list":["post-100130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-adamawa","tag-ebubechukwu","tag-ekiti","tag-herbal-tea","tag-saudi-arabia-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=100130"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100136,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100130\/revisions\/100136"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/100133"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=100130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=100130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=100130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}