The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted an Indian woman, Ms. Neetu Neetu, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport with 72 parcels of heroin cleverly concealed in chocolate wafer wraps. The bust, which occurred on March 14, 2025, was part of an intelligence-led operation targeting international drug traffickers.
According to a statement issued by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the consignment, weighing 11kg, was found in Neetu’s luggage upon arrival on a Qatar Airways flight from Bangkok, Thailand, via Vietnam and Doha.
Drug Cartels Expanding Tactics
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the arrest as a worrying indication that international drug cartels are employing foreign nationals, including white women, to smuggle narcotics into Nigeria.
“This growing tactic by drug trafficking organisations has consistently been frustrated by our vigilant officers with the aid of modern technological tools and proactive intelligence,” Marwa stated.
Major Seizures in Kano and Lagos
The agency also reported other significant drug seizures across the country. In Kano, NDLEA operatives arrested a 45-year-old suspect, Michael Ogundele, with a 50-litre steel gas cylinder along the Zaria-Kano road. A search revealed that the cylinder had been modified to conceal 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg.
Additionally, in Gunduwawa, Kano, a 40-year-old man, Sunday Ogar, was caught with 27kg of skunk, a potent form of cannabis. Meanwhile, in Lungun Bulala Yalwa, a female suspect, Khadijah Abdullahi, was apprehended with 424 bottles of codeine-based syrup.
In Lagos, NDLEA officers in Mushin arrested Olumuyiwa Kolawole and Samod Adisa with 67.5kg of skunk, while another 100.8kg of the same substance was recovered from a storage facility belonging to two fleeing suspects in Anifowoshe, Mushin.
Another suspect, Isah Idris, was arrested in Apapa with 4.5kg of skunk, 600 grams of tramadol 225mg, and 30 litres of codeine syrup. Similarly, Yahaya Mohamed was apprehended in Ikotun with multiple quantities of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.
NDLEA Expands Anti-Drug Awareness Campaign
Beyond its enforcement efforts, the NDLEA has intensified its War Against Drug Abuse advocacy, conducting sensitisation programs in schools, markets, and workplaces across Nigeria. Recent awareness drives have taken place in schools such as Chrisland School in Lagos, Marist Comprehensive College in Anambra, and Government Day Secondary Schools in Adamawa and Sokoto states.
Commending the officers in Kano and Lagos for their dedication, Marwa urged them to remain relentless in combating drug trafficking and abuse across the country.
“Our operatives must not relent in ensuring a balanced and sustained fight against drug abuse and trafficking nationwide,” he emphasised.
