Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a 38 year old businessman, Philip Tunde, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, after intercepting 4.80 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the soles of shoes and the railings of travelling bags.
Tunde was arrested on Sunday 27 September 2026 at the joint screening point in Terminal 2, ahead of his Royal Air Maroc flight to Milan, Italy. A thorough search recovered 16 parcels of a white powdery substance hidden in the soles of eight pairs of trainers and canvas shoes, together with 195 wraps of the same substance concealed in the railings of four travelling bags. The substances tested positive for cocaine and weighed 4.80 kilograms in total.
During interview, the suspect claimed he paid 16 million naira in cash for the cocaine hidden in the shoes, while the consignment in the bags was meant for delivery to his partner in Italy. He said he raised the money from compensation paid to him after an injury at a plastic manufacturing company in Italy, in which he lost the tips of two fingers.
By John James
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