The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 63-year-old Chinese national, Ting Hung Kiong, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 31 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Kiong, who reportedly holds Malaysian citizenship, was intercepted on May 17 after arriving from Thailand via Dubai aboard an Emirates flight. NDLEA said two large suitcases containing the illicit consignment were recovered from her.

According to the agency, the suspect claimed she works as a caregiver in Malaysia and said her daughter sponsored the trip to Thailand, where she allegedly received the drugs for delivery in Nigeria.

In another operation, NDLEA operatives recovered 1,825,710 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg worth about N2.19 billion at the Lagos airport import shed. The consignment reportedly arrived from India through Emirates Cargo and was handed over by the Nigeria Customs Service after surveillance operations.

At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, officers arrested Onyeka Emeka, who allegedly excreted 185.36 grammes of cocaine after arriving from Sierra Leone via Addis Ababa.

Similarly, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, operatives arrested Babatunde Afekhide, a 29-year-old building engineer, while attempting to board a Milan-bound flight. NDLEA said 10,280 pills of Tramadol and Tapentadol concealed in his luggage were recovered.

The agency also intercepted drug parcels at a Lagos courier facility destined for Europe and the United States, including MDMA hidden inside a bicycle luggage carrier heading to the Netherlands.

Other raids in Edo, Ekiti, Kano, and Lagos states led to the recovery of large quantities of skunk cannabis and other controlled substances, alongside multiple arrests.

NDLEA Chairman, Buba Marwa, commended officers across various state commands for the operations and urged them to sustain ongoing anti-drug efforts and public sensitisation campaigns.