The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 38-year-old South African woman at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria while travelling with her three-year-old son, whom investigators said she used as a cover to avoid suspicion.
The agency also announced the seizure of 4.1kg of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, valued at more than N10.3 billion, at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos, alongside the interception of an alleged drug courier who excreted 100 wraps of methamphetamine after arriving at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
According to NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the South African suspect, identified as Jessica Ann Will, was arrested on July 6 during the clearance of passengers arriving aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1433 from Doha.
Babafemi said, in a statement on Sunday that, the suspect initially denied travelling with any checked luggage, but investigations revealed that two suitcases containing 14 large blocks of heroin bore baggage tags matching those attached to her passport.
He said the suspect later admitted ownership of the bags, claiming she had forgotten she checked them in.
The NDLEA said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja and is believed to be part of a transnational drug trafficking syndicate allegedly operated with her husband or partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager, along the Cambodia-South Africa route.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives at MMIA arrested 48-year-old Onyechere Chinadu, an Okada rider from Lagos, upon his arrival from Madagascar via Addis Ababa on June 28.
During interrogation, the suspect reportedly told investigators he had worked as a commercial motorcycle rider in Lagos for 15 years before being recruited into drug trafficking by a Uganda-based associate.
At the Apapa Seaport, NDLEA said operatives, working alongside the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, uncovered 8,287 nylon bags of Canadian Loud weighing 4,143.5 kilogrammes inside a container imported from Canada.
The agency said the seizure followed weeks of intelligence-led surveillance by its Maritime Intelligence Unit, which tracked the shipment from Montreal before it arrived in Lagos. The illicit consignment has an estimated street value exceeding N10.3 billion.
In another operation, NDLEA said it thwarted an attempt to export 2.5 kilogrammes of skunk concealed inside a gas compressor destined for Cyprus through a courier company in Lagos.
Commending officers involved in the various successful operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), praised the agency’s continued success in reducing the supply of illicit drugs while intensifying public awareness campaigns against drug abuse and urged personnel across the country to remain steadfast in the fight against drug trafficking.
Michael Olugbode
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