Heroin Bust At Lagos Airport As NDLEA Seizes N3.2bn Worth Of Drugs, Arrests Thai Returnee

Lagos, Nigeria – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dealt a major blow to the illicit drug trade with the arrest of a Nigerian returnee from Thailand, Oguejiofor Nnaemeka, at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

Nnaemeka was apprehended on Monday while attempting to smuggle 13.3 kilograms of heroin, valued at a staggering N3.2 billion, into the country.

The drug was cleverly concealed within six backpacks, packed into two large suitcases. The 29-year-old Mechanical Engineering graduate, who had recently spent two days in Doha, Qatar, on his way from Thailand, tried to evade security checks by rerouting his luggage to Nigeria as “rush bags.”

However, NDLEA officers, acting on intelligence, intercepted him at the airport exit and discovered the hidden heroin.

In a separate operation, the NDLEA seized over N22.7 billion worth of opioids at three major seaports – Lekki Deep Seaport, Apapa Seaport in Lagos, and Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers state.

This haul included 32,607,900 pills of tramadol (worth N12.6 billion) and 1,451,994 bottles of codeine-based syrup (valued at N10.2 billion).

The illicit drugs were discovered during a joint examination of containers flagged by the NDLEA based on intelligence, with personnel from the Nigeria Customs and other security agencies.

These successful operations highlight the NDLEA’s commitment to curbing the flow of illegal drugs into Nigeria.

The agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, stated that the seizures demonstrate the agency’s “balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.”

In addition to these major seizures, NDLEA operatives in Anambra arrested a suspect, Okelue Chidera, with 50,000 tablets of tramadol 200mg at Upper Iweka, Onitsha.

Meanwhile, in Edo state, a raid on a cannabis transit and loading point at Aviose, Owan West local government area, led to the recovery of 70 bags of cannabis weighing 1,050 kilogrammes.

Another raid at Owan Village, Ovia North East local government area, resulted in the arrest of Monday Akele, 38, and the seizure of 110 kilogrammes of cannabis.

The NDLEA’s relentless pursuit of drug traffickers is a testament to the agency’s commitment to protecting the Nigerian public from the devastating effects of drug abuse.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers for their exceptional work and reiterated the agency’s dedication to its “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) sensitisation efforts, targeting schools, places of worship, workplaces, and communities across the country.