ABUJA, Nigeria – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested a 62-year-old Nigerian-American woman with 9.45kg of cannabis at Lagos airport and a 34-year-old South African woman allegedly attempting to smuggle 36.65kg of cocaine out of Nigeria.
The agency also reported drug seizures and arrests in several states, including Lagos, Delta and Oyo, as part of separate operations against illicit drugs.
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said the South African woman, identified as Qhina Beauty, was arrested at the departure hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport on October 7 while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa via Doha.
A search of her two travel bags allegedly uncovered 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg. Babafemi said the drugs had been mixed with dried pepper, wrapped in cellophane and packed into seven parcels.
According to the agency, Beauty told investigators she had arrived in Nigeria on September 30 to collect the consignment and had been promised 20,000 South African rand for delivering it.
Babafemi said investigations led to the arrest on October 14 of a 46-year-old Lagos car dealer, Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe, at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way.
The spokesman alleged that Umunnakwe admitted receiving Beauty at the airport and arranging accommodation for her at two hotels ahead of her departure.
In a separate operation on October 21, NDLEA officers arrested Anetor Gloria Ubong, a 62-year-old realtor based in Richmond, Texas, following her arrival on a United Airlines flight from Houston.
Babafemi said a search of her checked-in luggage uncovered 18 parcels containing 9.45kg of a substance identified by the agency as “loud”, a high-potency form of cannabis, concealed with gift-wrapping paper.
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