NDLEA Intercepts India Bound 237 Wraps of Cocaine Hidden in ‘Okporoko’

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a shocking shipment of cocaine cleverly concealed inside the heads of imported dry stock fish, popularly known as “Okporoko.”

The breakthrough came after intelligence reports exposed the syndicate’s cross-border drug trafficking operations, particularly targeting India.

Acting on the tip-off, NDLEA officers from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Strategic Command carried out a coordinated sting operation in the Ojo area of Lagos on Thursday, March 19, 2026.

During the operation, a suspected kingpin, 36-year-old Akputa Dickson Ejike, was arrested with three jumbo bags in his possession. A thorough search of the bags uncovered a total of 237 wraps of cocaine ingeniously hidden inside fish heads.

The seized drugs weighed 5.80 kilograms and were reportedly bound for Delhi, India.

Authorities say investigations are ongoing as they work to dismantle the wider network behind the international drug trafficking scheme.