Agency says suspect used her three-year-old son as cover while operatives intercepted massive drug consignments at airports, seaport and courier centres.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 38-year-old South African woman at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after recovering 5.75 kilograms of heroin concealed in her luggage.
The agency said the suspect allegedly used her three-year-old son as a cover to evade security checks after arriving on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha. Although she initially denied travelling with checked luggage, NDLEA officers linked two bags containing the drugs to baggage tags attached to her passport. She later admitted ownership of the bags and told investigators she travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja.
The agency said intelligence indicates the suspect is linked to a transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Cambodia-South Africa route.
In a separate operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, NDLEA arrested a 48-year-old commercial motorcycle rider who arrived from Madagascar via Ethiopia. Officers recovered 87 wraps of methamphetamine hidden inside his backpack, while the suspect later excreted 13 additional pellets after being placed under observation, bringing the total seizure to 100 wraps weighing 1.715 kilograms.
At the Apapa Seaport, Lagos, NDLEA operatives, working with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, also intercepted 8,287 bags of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 4,143.5 kilograms and valued at more than ₦10.3 billion. The consignment was traced to Canada following weeks of intelligence gathering.
The agency also foiled an attempt to export 2.5 kilograms of skunk concealed inside a gas compressor destined for Cyprus through a Lagos-based courier company.
NDLEA said it has continued its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign with awareness programmes across several states, while urging its officers to sustain efforts in combating drug trafficking and promoting public enlightenment