Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a 63-year-old Chinese woman, Ting Hung Kiong, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 31 kilogrammes of “Canadian Loud,” a synthetic strain of cannabis, into Nigeria through the Lagos airport.
The suspect, said to be a naturalised Malaysian citizen, was apprehended on May 17, 2026, at the Terminal 2 Arrival Hall of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport after arriving from Thailand via Dubai aboard an Emirates Airline flight.
According to the agency, investigations revealed that the suspect travelled from Malaysia to Thailand before proceeding to Nigeria through the United Arab Emirates with two large suitcases containing the illicit substance.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the suspect, who claimed to be a caregiver in Malaysia, told investigators that her daughter sponsored the trip. She also reportedly stated that the drug consignment was handed to her at the Thailand airport for delivery in Nigeria after spending two weeks in the Asian country.
In another operation, the anti-narcotics agency said it intercepted 1,825,710 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg valued at more than N2.1 billion at the import shed of the Lagos airport.
The consignment, which arrived from India aboard an Emirates Cargo flight, was reportedly handed over to NDLEA officials by the Nigeria Customs Service following days of surveillance and monitoring.
At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, operatives intercepted one Onyeka Valentine Emeka during passenger clearance on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Sierra Leone through Addis Ababa. NDLEA said the suspect later excreted 185.36 grams of cocaine after being placed under observation.
Similarly, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, a 29-year-old building engineer, Babatunde Afekhide, was arrested while attempting to board a flight to Milan, Italy, via Addis Ababa.
The agency said a search of his luggage uncovered 10,280 pills of Tramaking 225mg, Tramadol 200mg and Tapentadol 250mg concealed in cartons wrapped with foil paper in an apparent attempt to evade security checks.
NDLEA operatives also intercepted 1,174 pills of MDMA, popularly known as Ecstasy, concealed inside a bicycle luggage carrier bound for the Netherlands at a Lagos courier facility. Additional seizures included tramadol pills hidden in soap and body cream containers destined for the United States and the United Kingdom.
In Edo State, operatives raided the Igwe community in Owan East Local Government Area, recovering 489 kilogrammes of skunk and nine kilogrammes of cannabis seeds.
A separate operation along the Zaria-Kano road led to the arrest of a suspect, Isah Sani, with 196,000 pills of Exol-5, while officers at the Seme border area of Lagos recovered 59 kilogrammes of skunk from a warehouse in Mowo, Badagry.
In Ekiti State, NDLEA operatives raided a warehouse in Ikole-Ekiti and recovered 1,116 kilogrammes of skunk. A 54-year-old suspect, Ogundana Adebayo Julius, was arrested in connection with the seizure.
The agency added that its commands across the country had continued the War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign in schools and communities in Oyo, Anambra, Katsina, Lagos, Enugu, Ekiti and Kano states.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the operations and urged them to intensify efforts aimed at curbing drug trafficking and abuse nationwide.
