The suspect was reportedly arrested on October 7, 2026, while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa through Doha.
According to the agency, a search of her two travel bags uncovered 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg. The substance was allegedly wrapped in cellophane tape, mixed with dried pepper and divided into seven parcels.
During questioning, Beauty reportedly told investigators that she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 to collect the drugs. She allegedly claimed that another South African woman recruited her and promised to pay her 20,000 rand upon successful delivery.
The suspect reportedly identified two other individuals allegedly connected to the operation, including a person based in the United States and a Lagos-based car dealer.
Further investigations led to the arrest of the car dealer, 46-year-old Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe, on October 14 at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, following surveillance at his residence in Shasha.
The NDLEA said Umunnakwe admitted receiving Beauty at the airport and arranging accommodation for her at Santiago Hotel in Amuwo-Odofin before moving her to Cynarisso Hotel near the airport ahead of her planned departure.
In a separate operation, the agency also arrested a 62-year-old Nigerian-American woman, Anetor Gloria Ubong, at the Lagos airport on October 21 after she arrived from Houston, Texas.
Operatives reportedly discovered 9.45kg of cannabis, popularly known as loud, concealed in one of her checked-in boxes.
The arrests form part of the agency’s wider operations against drug trafficking and the distribution of illicit substances across Nigeria.
