NDLEA arrests Thai national, others, thwarts attempts to smuggle cannabis, tramadol into Nigeria
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled multiple attempts to smuggle illicit drugs into and out of Nigeria, leading to several arrests.
In a significant operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, a 24-year-old Thai national, Ms. Pattaphi Wimonnat, was arrested on Thursday, 20th February 2025, while attempting to smuggle 46.60 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, into the country.
The illicit consignment, comprising 43 parcels, was discovered in her luggage during the inward clearance of passengers on a Qatar Airways flight from Thailand via Doha, according to a statement by Femi Babafemi, the spokesman of the agency
Ms. Wimonnat confessed to being a hired drug trafficker, revealing that a drug cartel had promised her $3,000 upon the successful delivery of the consignment in Nigeria.
In another operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers intercepted 68 parcels of Ghanaian Loud weighing 42.2 kilograms on Friday, 21st February. The drugs were concealed in the walls of crated cartons destined for London, UK. Three suspects, including a freight agent and two dispatch riders, were initially arrested, while the mastermind, Samuel Bitris, was traced to his home in Exodus Estate, Ajah, Lagos, where he was apprehended.
At the Port Harcourt Port Complex in Rivers State, NDLEA officers, in collaboration with Customs and other security agencies, intercepted 49 cartons containing 49,000 pills of Tamol, a brand of tramadol 225mg, during a joint examination of a 40ft container on Thursday, 20th February.
In Nasarawa State, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects, Bello Adamu, 40, and Pius Azuka, 42, with 517 kilograms of skunk on Saturday, 22nd February. Similarly, in Niger State, two other suspects, Usman Ruwa, 43, and Yunusa Haruna, 45, were nabbed with 62.7 kilograms of skunk concealed in a Toyota Corolla car along Sabon Asibiti Road, Kontagora, on Thursday, 20th February.
Amid these operations, NDLEA commands across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities, targeting schools, worship centers, workplaces, and communities.
Commending the efforts of the officers, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised the balanced approach of the agency in tackling both drug supply and demand reduction. He emphasized that the operational successes reflect the agency’s commitment to combating drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria.
