Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 38-year-old South African woman at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, after allegedly discovering 5.75 kilograms of heroin hidden inside her luggage.
The agency said the suspect allegedly travelled with her three-year-old son in an attempt to avoid suspicion and beat airport security checks.
According to a statement issued by the NDLEA on Sunday, the woman was arrested on July 6 during the clearance of passengers arriving on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha.
Investigators said she initially denied travelling with any checked luggage. However, officers traced two suitcases containing the illicit drugs through baggage tags linked to her passport.
“She eventually admitted ownership of the bags after claiming she had forgotten that she checked them in,” the NDLEA said.
The agency revealed that the suspect had travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja, adding that preliminary investigations linked her to a transnational drug trafficking network operating along the Cambodia–South Africa route.
In a separate operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, NDLEA officers arrested a 48-year-old commercial motorcycle rider who arrived from Madagascar via Addis Ababa.
A search of his luggage uncovered 87 wraps of methamphetamine hidden inside his clothing.
The suspect later admitted swallowing additional pellets of the drug before his trip. After being placed under observation for three days, he excreted 13 more pellets, bringing the total seizure to 100 wraps weighing 1.715 kilograms.
Meanwhile, at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives, working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, intercepted a shipment containing 4,143.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis.
The agency estimated the street value of the seized drugs at more than ₦10.3 billion.
The NDLEA also disclosed that it foiled an attempt to smuggle 2.5 kilograms of skunk hidden inside a gas compressor destined for Cyprus through a Lagos courier company.
Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said it continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign with awareness programmes in schools, communities, workplaces and places of worship across several states.
The NDLEA commended its officers for the successful operations and urged them to sustain efforts in combating drug trafficking and promoting public awareness.
Source: National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
