NDLEA Nabs Ugandan Woman With 87 Cocaine Wraps in Lagos, Seizes N900m Opioids
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old Ugandan woman for allegedly attempting to smuggle 1.15 kilogrammes of cocaine out of Nigeria, with the illicit substance concealed beneath her underwear.
The suspect, identified as Farida Nansubuga, was arrested on November 3 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, while preparing to board a flight to Uganda.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, explaining that the suspect was intercepted during a joint passenger screening operation involving NDLEA operatives and aviation security personnel at Terminal 2 of the airport.
A subsequent search reportedly uncovered 87 wraps of cocaine strapped around her pelvic region and concealed beneath two layers of underwear.
According to Babafemi, preliminary investigations revealed that Nansubuga arrived in Nigeria on October 29 alongside members of her church for a prayer session at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), located in the Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos.
While other members of the delegation returned to Uganda after the religious gathering, she allegedly remained behind to collect a drug consignment on behalf of a friend identified as Joy, who resides in Uganda.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that her Nigerian contact arranged a vehicle to convey her to a hotel on the morning of her departure, where an unidentified man handed her the cocaine and instructed her to conceal it beneath her clothing.
She was allegedly promised at least $1,000 for successfully delivering the consignment.
In a separate operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives intercepted 750,000 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, weighing 526 kilogrammes and valued at approximately N900 million.
The shipment, which arrived from Ahmedabad, India, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on November 3, was falsely declared as Paracetamol 500mg.
Babafemi said the agency placed the consignment under surveillance after detecting discrepancies in its declaration.
A joint examination conducted on November 6 by NDLEA operatives, the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies revealed that 10 of the 11 cartons contained the opioid tablets, while the remaining carton contained paracetamol.
In another operation, operatives intercepted 32 parcels of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 16.15 kilogrammes. The drugs were concealed inside two wooden sofas shipped from Houston, United States, in a consolidated cargo consignment.
The shipment arrived aboard a Turkish Airlines flight on November 4, leading to the arrest of a freight agent, Ibrahim Abdulwaheed Adewale, who allegedly attempted to clear the consignment.
A follow-up operation on November 6 resulted in the arrest of Adeoye Sarafa Ojo, a 34-year-old caterer from Ibadan, who allegedly arrived to collect the package.
The NDLEA also reported intercepting several illicit drug consignments destined for the United Kingdom and Australia.
The seizures included 46 blocks of cannabis weighing 22.2 kilogrammes, 296 tablets of Swinol and multiple shipments of tramadol concealed in vitamin C containers and female headwear.
Meanwhile, the agency said its operatives recorded additional seizures of cannabis, opioids and other controlled substances during coordinated operations across Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti, Edo, Taraba, Enugu and Delta states.
The NDLEA reiterated its commitment to intensifying operations against drug trafficking networks and disrupting the movement of illicit substances through Nigeria’s airports, seaports and other entry and exit points.
By TimesNG