The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 38-year-old South African woman over an alleged NDLEA heroin arrest involving 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja. The agency said the suspect allegedly attempted to smuggle the illicit drug into Nigeria while travelling with her three-year-old son.
According to the NDLEA, the suspect, identified as Ms. Will Jessica Ann, was apprehended on Monday, July 6, 2026, during the inward clearance of passengers arriving aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1433 from Doha. The agency said the woman initially denied travelling with any checked luggage. However, further checks revealed that two suitcases containing 14 large blocks of heroin carried baggage tags matching the claim tags attached to her passport.
Following the discovery, she reportedly admitted ownership of the luggage, claiming she had forgotten she had checked in the bags. Investigators said the suspect travelled from Cambodia through Doha before arriving in Abuja.
The NDLEA disclosed that intelligence reports link the suspect to a transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating between Cambodia and South Africa. According to the agency, she allegedly worked alongside her husband and suspected accomplice, Jan Coenraad De Jager, in the international drug network.
In another major operation, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, arrested a 48-year-old commercial motorcycle rider, Onyechere Daniel Chinadufor, after he arrived from Madagascar through Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
A search of his backpack reportedly led to the recovery of 87 wraps of methamphetamine concealed inside clothing. After being placed under observation, he allegedly excreted 13 additional pellets, bringing the total seizure to 100 wraps weighing 1.715 kilogrammes.
The suspect reportedly told investigators he had worked as an okada rider in Lagos for about 15 years before being recruited into drug trafficking by an associate based in Uganda.
The agency also announced the interception of 8,287 nylon bags of “Canadian Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 4,143.5 kilogrammes during a joint examination of a container imported from Canada through the Apapa Seaport in Lagos.
NDLEA estimated the street value of the seized drugs at more than ₦10.3 billion. According to the agency, the operation followed weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance conducted by its Maritime Intelligence Unit from the point of shipment in Montreal, Canada.
The NDLEA further disclosed that its operatives foiled an attempt to export 2.5 kilogrammes of skunk concealed inside a gas compressor destined for Cyprus through a Lagos-based courier company.
Beyond enforcement activities, the agency said its commands across the country continued implementing the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through sensitisation programmes in schools, religious centres and communities.
Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised the various commands for combining aggressive drug supply reduction efforts with public awareness campaigns, urging personnel to remain committed to combating illicit drug trafficking nationwide.
