The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 38-year-old South African woman, Will Jessica Ann, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 5.75 kilograms of heroin concealed in two suitcases through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
According to the agency, the suspect, who travelled with her three-year-old son, was intercepted during the clearance of passengers arriving on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha. Investigators said she initially denied having any checked luggage but later admitted ownership after baggage tags matched those attached to her passport.
Preliminary investigations revealed that she travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja. The NDLEA also alleged that she is linked to an international drug trafficking network reportedly operated with her husband, Jan Coenraad De Jager, along the Cambodia-South Africa route.
In a separate operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested 48-year-old commercial motorcyclist Onyechere Daniel Chinadu after arriving from Madagascar via Addis Ababa. A search of his luggage uncovered 87 wraps of methamphetamine hidden inside clothing.
The suspect later confessed that he had swallowed additional pellets of the illicit drug before travelling. After being placed under medical observation, he excreted 13 more pellets, bringing the total recovery to 100 wraps of methamphetamine weighing 1.715 kilograms.
Meanwhile, at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, intercepted 4,143.5 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, concealed in a container imported from Canada. The seized drugs, valued at more than ₦10.3 billion, were discovered after weeks of intelligence-led surveillance.
The agency also foiled an attempt to export 2.5 kilograms of skunk concealed inside a gas compressor destined for Cyprus through a courier service in Lagos.
Beyond enforcement operations, the NDLEA continued its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign with sensitisation programmes held in schools, communities and other public institutions across several states.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers involved in the successful operations and encouraged personnel nationwide to sustain efforts aimed at reducing drug trafficking and promoting public awareness on drug abuse.
