NDLEA Seizes Brazilian Woman with N3 Billion Heroin at Abuja Airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 30-year-old Brazilian woman at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for attempting to smuggle 30.09 kilograms of white heroin into Nigeria, with a street value exceeding N3 billion.

In a statement on Sunday, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, revealed that the drugs were hidden inside factory-sealed coffee packs.

Babafemi said the suspect, a private security officer in Brazil, was apprehended on Friday, January 23, after arriving on Qatar Airways flight QR1431, following intelligence-led operations. “A search of her two checked bags uncovered 21 factory-sealed packets of Brazilian coffee,” he explained. “Upon opening the bags, white substances, later confirmed to be heroin, were discovered instead of coffee. The consignment weighed 30.09 kilograms, marking the largest heroin seizure at Abuja airport.”

During preliminary questioning, the suspect told NDLEA operatives that she brought the heroin under the guise of coming to Nigeria for holidays, Babafemi added.

In a separate operation at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, NDLEA intercepted two passengers on Tuesday, January 20, attempting to fly to Istanbul, Turkey, carrying 3,990 tablets of tapentadol 250mg and tramadol 225mg hidden in food items.

Meanwhile, the agency’s Marine Command seized a wooden boat containing 44 jumbo bags of Ghana Loud cannabis, weighing 1,848 kilograms, at Jakande Beach, Lekki, Lagos, in the early hours of Thursday, January 22. Babafemi said the shipment had just arrived from Ghana when NDLEA, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted it.

Additionally, two suspects linked to the transportation of 140 packets of explosives to Kano and Kaduna were arrested on Friday, January 23. One was apprehended at Karota Park, Kano, and the other at Mando Park, Kaduna. Another intelligence-led raid in Kwangila, Zaria LGA, Kaduna, on Thursday, January 22, resulted in the arrest of two suspected drug traffickers and the recovery of 120 kilograms of skunk cannabis.

Babafemi stated that NDLEA nationwide continues its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) with sensitisation activities in schools, workplaces, worship centres, and communities. Recent engagements included lectures to students and staff of Taraba State command of NDLEA, Government Science Secondary School Jalingo, Beloved Montessori Group of Schools Ede (Osun State), Owerri City Junior Secondary School (Imo), Government Day Secondary School Otukpo (Benue), and Darawa Primary School (Katsina).

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