Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a Thai Lady, Patthaphi Wimonnat for attempting to smuggle 43 parcels of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 46.60kg into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
Wimonnat, 24, was apprehended on Thursday, February 20, 2025, following the discovery of illicit consignment in her boxes.
The Director, Media & Advocacy of NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a statement made available to Thelensng on Sunday.
Babafemi stated that the suspect confessed to being a hired drug trafficker upon arrest during the inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways flight from Thailand via Doha, Qatar at the arrival hall, terminal 2 of the Lagos airport.
She revealed that the drug cartel, which recruited her promised to pay her $3,000 upon successful delivery of the illicit drug consignment in Nigeria.
In another successful operation on Friday, February 21, the anti-narcotics agency’s officers prevented attempt by drug trafficking syndicate to ship 68 parcels of Ghanaian Loud with a total weight of 42.2kg concealed in walls of crated cartons to London, UK, through the export shed of the Lagos airport.
“Three suspects: a freight agent and two dispatch riders were initially arrested in connection with the seizure before the mastermind of the shipment, Samuel Bitris, was swiftly traced to his Exodus Estate, Ajah, Lagos home where he was arrested,” the spokesperson noted.
Similarly, NDLEA officers at the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers State, on Thursday, February 20, intercepted 49 cartons containing 49,000 pills of tamol, a brand of tramadol 225mg in a 40ft container during a joint examination of the shipment with men of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies.
The agency’s operatives on Saturday, February 22, arrested two suspects; Bello Adamu, 40, and Pius Azuka, 42, at Kokona/Keffi, Nasarawa State with 517kg of skunk.
Two other suspects; Usman Ruwa, 43, and Yunusa Haruna, 45, were equally nabbed in a Toyota Corolla car conveying 62.7kg of skunk along Sabon Asibiti road Kontagora, Niger State on Thursday, February 20.
However, the Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities in schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
The activities include WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of Maku Grammar School, Tapa, Oyo State; Comprehensive Secondary School, Orogwe, Imo State; Jama’atu Islamiyya Secondary School, Ankpa, Kogi State; and Owerri-Aba Primary School, Ugwunagba, Imo State, among others.
Reacting to the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa commended the officers and men of MMIA, PHPC, Niger, and Nasarawa Commands of the Agency.
Marwa expressed satisfaction that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.
