The Nigerian Army has intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking with the interception of a truck conveying a large consignment of illicit drugs along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road.

The operation was carried out by troops of the 65 Battalion following credible intelligence, resulting in the arrest of the truck driver, according to a statement issued by the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 81 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Musa Yahaya.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the illicit drugs were being transported to the Berger area of Lagos State. However, the suspect failed to provide satisfactory information regarding the owner of the consignment or its intended recipient.

The Army said the suspect and the recovered illicit drugs have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Lagos State Command, for further investigation and prosecution in line with established procedures.

Commending the troops, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Major General Adebayo Babalola, praised their professionalism and vigilance, urging them to sustain the momentum in the fight against drug traffickers and other criminal elements.

The interception comes amid intensified anti-drug operations nationwide. Recently, the NDLEA arrested a South African woman at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 5.75 kilograms of heroin into Nigeria. In another operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, operatives arrested a passenger with 1.715 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in his luggage and body.

According to the NDLEA, the agency secured 974 convictions for drug-related offences in the first quarter of 2026, including 11 major drug kingpins sentenced to a combined 254 years’ imprisonment, underscoring its continued efforts to combat drug trafficking across the country. Visit www.jocomms.com for more news.