The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a shipment of cocaine bound for Saudi Arabia.

According to a statement on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, the cocaine was concealed in 20 sets of religious books.

Babafemi said the cocaine consignment, weighing 500 grammes, was discovered at a courier company in Lagos on April 15, as officers searched through export cargoes.

In another operation, NDLEA officers intercepted five parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing 2.8 kilogrammes, hidden in a carton coming from the United States, at a courier company in Lagos.

The agency also arrested several suspects, including Muhammad Mohammed, a 22-year-old “supplier of illicit substances to bandits”, who was caught with 277 ampoules of pentazocine injection tied to his thigh and private part with sellotape.

Another suspect, Mohammed Abdulrahman Abdulaziz, 43, was arrested with 68 blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 30 kilogrammes.

• NDLEA arrests intending Hajj pilgrims with cocaine consignments in Lagos

In Bayelsa state, NDLEA operatives raided a house and recovered 557.2kg of skunk, 5.6kg of methamphetamine, and 29.8 grammes of heroin.

Four suspects were arrested during the raid, including Sarimiye Suwa Kurtis, 46; Roland Prosper, 34; Sarimiye Tare Paul, 45; and Fidelis Ugbesla, 46.

The NDLEA also destroyed two cannabis farms in Egbeta forest, Ovia North East LGA, Edo state, where 3,717.8625kg of the psychoactive plant were destroyed on 1.487145 hectares, and 136.5kg of processed cannabis were recovered.

Babafemi said Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, commended the officers for their efforts.

He also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for ensuring a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

“The War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week,” the statement reads.

“Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of St. Michael Anglican Primary School, Epe, Lagos; Community Grammar School, Ipoti Ekiti, Ekiti state; College of Education, Minna, Niger state; traders at Igbona market, Osogbo, Osun state; traders at Marian Market, Calabar, Cross River; drivers and others at Peace Mass Transit park, Upper Iweka, Onitsha, Anambra state, among others.”