The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 42-year-old Indian national, Ms. Neetu Neetu, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.
The anti- narcotics agency said Neetu was found in possession of 72 parcels of heroin, cleverly concealed in wafer wraps and packaged as chocolates.
The illicit consignment weighed a total of 11 kilograms.
The arrest was made on Friday, March 14, 2025, during the inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1431, which originated from Bangkok, Thailand, with stop overs in Vietnam and Doha.
This was disclosed by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy NDLEA in a statement on Sunday.
He asserted that acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA officers conducted a thorough search of Neetu’s luggage at the arrival hall, leading to the discovery of the class A drugs.
“This arrest highlights a growing trend among drug trafficking organizations to employ foreign nationals, particularly women, to smuggle illicit drugs through Nigerian borders.
“NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd), commended the operatives for their vigilance, and use of modern technological tools and proactive intelligence to thwart such attempts,” he said.
In a related development, NDLEA officers in Kano arrested a 45-year-old suspect, Michael Ogundele, on Thursday, March 20, at Gadar Tamburawa along the Zaria-Kano Road.
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Ogundele was found with a 50-litre steel gas cylinder, which, upon further inspection using welding tools, revealed 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed inside.
The agency also recorded other notable arrests in Kano, including Sunday Ogar, who was nabbed with 27kg of skunk (a strain of cannabis) on Wednesday, March 19, and Khadijah Abdullahi, who was arrested with 424 bottles of codeine-based syrup on Tuesday, March 18.
“In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Olumuyiwa Kolawole and Samod Adisa with 67.5kg of skunk in Mushin.
“Additionally, 100.8kg of the same substance was recovered from the store of two fleeing suspects in the Anifowoshe area of Mushin.
“Other arrests in Lagos included Isah Idris, who was caught with 4.5kg of skunk, 600 grams of tramadol 225mg, and 30 litres of codeine syrup on Tuesday, March 18, and Yahaya Mohamed, who was apprehended in Ikotun with various quantities of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine,” he added.
