The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 38-year-old South African woman, Jessica Will, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, using her three-year-old son as cover to beat security checks.
As gathered, the South African was intercepted during the inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways flight QR1433 from Doha into the country.
According to the NDLEA, the woman initially denied travelling with any checked-in luggage when she was questioned by operatives of the anti-drug agency for clarification.
In a statement released on Sunday by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Will was apprehended on Monday, July 6, and further checks on her revealed that two suitcases bearing baggage tags corresponded with the claim tags attached to her passport.
Faced with the evidence, the suspect reportedly admitted that the luggage belonged to her, claiming she had forgotten that she had checked in the bags before boarding the flight.
A thorough search of the luggage allegedly led to the recovery of 14 large blocks of heroin weighing 5.75 kilograms, carefully concealed inside the suitcases.
NDLEA said preliminary investigations showed that the suspect travelled from Cambodia through Doha before arriving in Abuja.
The agency added that intelligence reports linked the woman to an alleged transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Cambodia–South Africa corridor.
According to the NDLEA, the suspect allegedly worked with her husband or partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager, who is said to be based in Cambodia, where investigators believe the drug network coordinates its operations.
The anti-narcotics agency said the presence of the suspect’s three-year-old son was allegedly intended to divert attention from the illicit consignment and reduce the likelihood of intensive security checks.
The agency said investigations had been expanded to unravel the activities of the alleged international drug syndicate and apprehend other members connected with the operation.
The NDLEA reiterated its resolve to intensify surveillance at the nation’s airports and other entry points, warning that drug traffickers would continue to face the full weight of the law regardless of the methods adopted to conceal illicit drugs.
The suspect remains in NDLEA custody and is expected to be charged in court after the conclusion of investigations.