The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has apprehended a 42-year-old Indian national, Ms. Neetu Neetu, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, for attempting to smuggle 72 parcels of heroin into the country.
The illicit substance, weighing 11kg, was cleverly concealed in wafer wraps and packaged to resemble chocolates.
According to a statement released by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, the contraband was uncovered during a routine search of her luggage at the airport’s arrival hall.
The operation was based on credible intelligence and took place during the clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1431, which arrived from Bangkok, Thailand, via Vietnam and Doha, on March 14, 2025.
Reacting to the arrest, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), noted a worrying shift in drug trafficking patterns, with cartels increasingly employing foreign nationals—including white women—to smuggle illicit substances across Nigerian borders.
“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 Drug Busts in Kano and Lagos
Beyond the airport seizure, NDLEA operatives conducted a series of successful operations in Kano and Lagos, dismantling multiple drug trafficking attempts.
In Kano, a 45-year-old suspect, Michael Ogundele, was arrested on Thursday along the Zaria-Kano road in Gadar Tamburawa while transporting a 50-litre steel gas cylinder.
Upon cutting it open with welding tools, officers discovered 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg hidden inside.
Similarly, another suspect, Sunday Ogar, 40, was nabbed in Gunduwawa on Wednesday with 27kg of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis.
A separate operation in Lungun Bulala Yalwa led to the arrest of a female suspect, Khadijah Abdullahi, 40, who was caught with 424 bottles of codeine-based syrup.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives apprehended Olumuyiwa Kolawole and Samod Adisa in Mushin with 67.5kg of skunk, while an additional 100.8kg of the same psychoactive substance was seized from a store belonging to two fleeing suspects in Anifowoshe, Mushin.
Meanwhile, a suspect identified as Isah Idris was arrested in Apapa on Tuesday with 4.5kg of skunk, 600 grams of tramadol 225mg, and 30 litres of codeine syrup. The same day, Yahaya Mohamed was caught in Ikotun with varying quantities of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.
Nationwide Anti-Drug Awareness Campaigns
Alongside these enforcement actions, NDLEA has ramped up its War Against Drug Abuse campaign, reaching out to communities nationwide.
Officers have been conducting sensitization programs in schools, markets, workplaces, and religious institutions to educate the public about the dangers of drug abuse.
Recent advocacy efforts have taken place at educational institutions such as Chrisland School in Ikeja, Lagos; Hakimi Secondary School in Mokwa, Niger State; Marist Comprehensive College in Nteje, Anambra State; Ikole City College in Ikole Ekiti, Ekiti State; Government Day Secondary School in Sunane, Sokoto State; and Government Day Secondary School in Jada, Adamawa State.
Commending the officers in Kano, Lagos, and MAKIA Commands, Marwa reiterated the agency’s unwavering commitment to curbing drug abuse and trafficking.
“Our operatives must not relent in ensuring a balanced and sustained fight against drug abuse and trafficking nationwide,” he urged.
