The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 38-year-old businesswoman, Iwebema Ogechi Peace, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 7.5 kilograms of cocaine to China through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
The suspect was apprehended by NDLEA operatives at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to Beijing, China.
According to the agency, the arrest followed credible intelligence which prompted operatives to place the suspect under surveillance before carrying out a thorough search of her luggage.
A search of the businesswoman’s check-in baggage reportedly uncovered four large parcels of cocaine carefully concealed in a professionally designed false bottom of the suitcase.
The illicit substance, classified as a Class A drug, weighed a total of 7.5 kilograms.
NDLEA disclosed that the suspect, who claimed to be a trader, said she regularly travels to China to purchase goods for resale in Nigeria.
The agency said preliminary investigations are ongoing to determine the full extent of the drug trafficking operation and identify other individuals connected to the illicit shipment.
The latest arrest is seen as part of the NDLEA’s sustained crackdown on drug trafficking syndicates using Nigeria’s airports as transit points for international narcotics smuggling.
The anti-narcotics agency has reiterated its commitment to intensifying surveillance and intelligence-driven operations aimed at combating the trafficking of illicit drugs within and outside the country.
