In a significant breakthrough against international drug trafficking, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a 42-year-old Indian national, Ms. Neetu Neetu, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, with 72 parcels of heroin ingeniously concealed in chocolate wafer wraps.
The illicit consignment, weighing a total of 11 kilograms, was seized from Neetu’s luggage following a meticulous search, triggered by credible intelligence. She had arrived in Nigeria via a Qatar Airways flight (QR1431) from Bangkok, Thailand, transiting through Vietnam and Doha. The arrest was executed at the airport’s arrival hall on Friday, March 14, 2025.
Reacting to the development, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), highlighted the evolving tactics of drug syndicates, stating, “The arrest of Neetu reflects a growing trend where drug cartels recruit foreign nationals, including white women, to traffic narcotics through Nigeria’s borders. However, our operatives, equipped with advanced technology and intelligence networks, remain vigilant and will continue to thwart these criminal schemes.”
More Drug Seizures in Kano and Lagos
Beyond Neetu’s arrest, NDLEA officers in Kano carried out multiple operations leading to the interception of a vast cache of illicit substances.
On Thursday, March 20, 2025, operatives acting on intelligence apprehended a 45-year-old suspect, Michael Ogundele, at Gadar Tamburawa along the Zaria-Kano road. Ogundele was transporting a 50-litre steel gas cylinder, which was later cut open using welding tools to reveal 50,000 pills of tramadol (225mg) hidden inside.
Similarly, on Wednesday, March 19, NDLEA agents arrested 40-year-old Sunday Ogar in the Gunduwawa area of Kano with 27kg of skunk, a highly potent cannabis strain. Another suspect, 40-year-old Khadijah Abdullahi, was apprehended on Tuesday, March 18, in the Lungun Bulala Yalwa area, found in possession of 424 bottles of codeine-based syrup.
Meanwhile, in Lagos, NDLEA operatives continued their crackdown on illicit drugs, arresting two suspects, Olumuyiwa Kolawole and Samod Adisa, in Mushin with 67.5kg of skunk. Additionally, 100.8kg of the same substance was discovered in a storage facility linked to two fleeing suspects in the Anifowoshe area of Mushin.
Further raids in Apapa on Tuesday, March 18, led to the arrest of Isah Idris, who was caught with 4.5kg of skunk, 600 grams of tramadol (225mg), and 30 litres of codeine syrup. On the same day, Yahaya Mohamed was arrested in Ikotun for possession of varying quantities of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.
Nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) Campaign Intensifies
In parallel with these enforcement actions, NDLEA has been intensifying its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy, conducting sensitization campaigns across schools, markets, workplaces, and religious centers. Recent engagements included awareness lectures at Chrisland School in Lagos, Hakimi Secondary School in Niger, Marist Comprehensive College in Anambra, Ikole City College in Ekiti, and Government Day Secondary Schools in Sokoto and Adamawa states.
Commending the agency’s officers for their relentless efforts, Brig. Gen. Marwa reaffirmed NDLEA’s commitment to both supply reduction and demand reduction strategies, urging operatives nationwide to sustain their momentum in the fight against drug trafficking.
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