Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 24-year-old Thai national, Ms. Pattaphi Wimonnat, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, for attempting to smuggle 43 parcels of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, into Nigeria.
The illicit consignment, weighing 46.60 kilograms, was discovered inside her luggage during inward clearance of passengers from a Qatar Airways flight from Thailand via Doha on Thursday, February 20, 2025.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement issued on Sunday and signed as Director of Media and Advocacy, disclosed that the suspect confessed to being a hired drug courier.
“She admitted that the drug cartel that recruited her promised to pay her $3,000 upon successful delivery in Nigeria,” Babafemi said.
Operatives also intercepted 68 parcels of Ghanaian Loud, weighing 42.2kg, hidden within the walls of crated cartons. The consignment, which was destined for London, was seized at the export shed of Lagos airport on Friday, February 21.
Following the seizure, three suspects, including a freight agent and two dispatch riders, were initially apprehended. Further investigations led to the arrest of the mastermind, Samuel Bitris, at his residence in Exodus Estate, Ajah, Lagos.
At the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers State, NDLEA officers intercepted 49 cartons containing 49,000 pills of Tamol, a brand of Tramadol (225mg), concealed inside a 40-foot container during a joint inspection with Customs and other security agencies.
In Nasarawa State, operatives arrested two suspects, Bello Adamu, 40, and Pius Azuka, 42, in Kokona/Keffi with 517kg of skunk on Saturday, February 22. Similarly, in Niger State, two suspects, Usman Ruwa, 43, and Yunusa Haruna, 45, were nabbed on Thursday, February 20, while transporting 62.7kg of skunk in a Toyota Corolla along the Sabon Asibiti Road in Kontagora.
Meanwhile, NDLEA has intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign across schools, workplaces, and communities nationwide. The latest outreach included lectures at Maku Grammar School, Tapa, Oyo State; Comprehensive Secondary School, Orogwe, Imo State; Jama’atu Islamiyya Secondary School, Ankpa, Kogi State; and Owerri-Aba Primary School, Ugwunagba, Imo State.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers for their relentless efforts in tackling drug trafficking. “Our officers continue to demonstrate remarkable commitment in the fight against drug cartels. These seizures reinforce our resolve to dismantle drug networks and keep our communities safe,” he stated.
The agency urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities related to drug trafficking.
