In a stunning breakthrough that has shaken drug trafficking networks in Nigeria, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kwara State has seized 2.318 tons of cannabis—ingeniously disguised in sacks of sawdust and hidden inside transport trucks during a series of early-morning operations.

The operation, described by authorities as the largest drug haul in the state’s recent history, was carried out within a single week across various locations, including the Offa and Omu Aran axis, between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 5:30 a.m.

Addressing newsmen in Ilorin, NDLEA Kwara State Commander, Fatima Popoola, said four suspects were arrested in connection with the illicit cargo, which has a street value running into billions of naira.

“This is the biggest seizure our command has recorded in a single week,” Popoola revealed, describing how the suspects went to great lengths to evade detection, concealing large quantities of cannabis in Canter trucks and covering them with sacks of sawdust to make them appear as harmless cargo.

She further explained that one driver was caught with 1.2 tons of cannabis, while another suspect was intercepted with 300 kilograms, and two others were linked to the remaining 720 kilograms.

The seizure, officials said, is not only a tactical success but also a symbolic warning to criminal networks attempting to bypass law enforcement through deceptive means.

Reacting to the arrests, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, represented by his Counsellor and Adviser, Alhaji Sa’adu Salahudeen, commended the NDLEA’s relentless efforts.

He described the breakthrough as a reflection of the state’s firm commitment to ending the menace of drug trafficking and its associated societal harm.