The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has taken decisive action against drug trafficking, detaining a female suspected peddler attempting to smuggle a significant consignment of cocaine to Iran. The arrest occurred at the Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers.
According to information released by Mr. Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, the suspect was apprehended on May 3 while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to Iran via Doha, following credible intelligence. To evade detection, she disguised herself in a hijab.
A thorough search revealed that she had concealed three wraps of cocaine in her private parts, alongside two large parcels hidden in false compartments of her handbag. During her detention, authorities discovered that she had swallowed 67 pellets of cocaine. After being placed under observation, she expelled all 67 wraps over several days. The total weight of the cocaine recovered reached 2.523 kilograms.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos, arrested a 22-year-old British national on Friday. The individual, who arrived from Thailand via Doha on a Qatar Airways flight, was found carrying 35 parcels of “Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, weighing a total of 37.6 kilograms. He admitted to having previous convictions in the UK for drug trafficking and robbery, revealing he was recruited in London to transport the drugs from Thailand to Nigeria.
In response to the growing drug issue, Babafemi reported that the NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign continued to make strides across the country over the past week. Educational outreach efforts included sensitization lectures delivered at institutions such as Federal Government College in Sokoto, Deeper Life International College in Nteje, and Martins Sanda Girls Science College in Paikoro, Niger, among others. Additionally, in Oyo State, NDLEA officials held an enlightening lecture for members of the League of Imams and Alfas at the Iseyin Central Mosque, further emphasizing their commitment to combating drug abuse and trafficking nationwide.