NDLEA raises alarm: Drug traffickers now hiding narcotics in kids’ books, land documents

In what sounds like a scene from a thriller movie, Nigeria’s top anti-narcotics agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has raised a red flag over a troubling new trend as drug traffickers are now hiding illegal substances inside everyday items like children’s books and even property documents.

This chilling revelation was made public in a warning issued by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi on Sunday, July 6. He explained that Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) are resorting to increasingly deceptive methods in a desperate bid to smuggle narcotics across borders.

“These criminals are now using virtually everything in sight, no matter how tiny or innocent-looking, to traffic drugs,” Babafemi stated.

According to him, this is not just a hypothetical concern. NDLEA operatives have recently made seizures where drugs were cleverly concealed in items as unsuspecting as kids’ storybooks and stacks of land title documents. These items, often considered routine, are now being used to bypass security checks at airports and checkpoints across the country.

While the NDLEA continues its relentless crackdown on trafficking syndicates, recording multiple arrests and successful busts, Babafemi noted that the creativity of these criminal networks is pushing the agency to adapt faster than ever before.

The increasing sophistication of concealment tactics poses a serious risk not just to national security, but also to parents, educators, transport workers, and legal professionals, who might unknowingly handle drug-laced items in the course of their everyday lives.

Babafemi’s message to the public was urgent and clear: “We’re calling on all Nigerians to stay alert. If you see something suspicious, no matter how harmless it looks, report it. This is a collective fight.”

As Nigeria’s fight against drug trafficking grows more intense, the NDLEA is reminding citizens that no tip is too small. Community vigilance, the agency says, could be the key to staying ahead of traffickers who are willing to go to extreme lengths, even turning a child’s bedtime book into a drug mule.