KANO, Nigeria (CHATNEWSTV) — Nigerian drug enforcement agents have arrested a 42-year-old Indian woman attempting to smuggle 72 parcels of heroin concealed in chocolate wrappers through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, officials said Sunday.
Neetu Neetu was taken into custody on March 14 after arriving on a Qatar Airways flight from Bangkok via Vietnam and Doha, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said in a statement sent to CHATNEWSTV. The heroin, weighing 11 kilograms, was discovered after a thorough luggage search based on credible intelligence, the agency said.
“The arrest of Neetu signifies a growing attempt by drug trafficking organizations to hire white ladies and foreign nationals to move illicit drugs through Nigerian borders,” NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.) said. “Our operatives continue to frustrate such attempts using modern technology and proactive intelligence.”
Authorities also seized large quantities of illicit drugs in separate operations in Kano and Lagos, according to the NDLEA statement.
In Kano, officers arrested a 45-year-old man, Michael Ogundele, on March 20 while he was transporting a 50-liter steel gas cylinder along the Zaria-Kano highway. Inside, agents discovered 50,000 tramadol pills hidden within the metal container. Another suspect, Sunday Ogar, 40, was caught on March 19 with 27 kilograms of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis, while a female suspect, Khadijah Abdullahi, 40, was found in possession of 424 bottles of codeine syrup on March 18.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives detained Olumuyiwa Kolawole and Samod Adisa in Mushin with 67.5 kilograms of skunk. An additional 100.8 kilograms of the drug was seized from a store in Anifowoshe, where two suspects remain at large. Another suspect, Isah Idris, was arrested in Apapa with 4.5 kilograms of skunk, 600 grams of tramadol, and 30 liters of codeine syrup, while Yahaya Mohamed was taken into custody in Ikotun with cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.
The NDLEA said it continues to expand its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, with recent awareness programs in schools, markets, and workplaces across the country.
Commending the officers involved in the latest arrests, Marwa urged them to remain vigilant. “The fight against drug trafficking requires consistency, and I encourage all formations to sustain their efforts in balancing drug supply reduction with public awareness initiatives,” he said.
