Airport arrests, courier interceptions, and nationwide raids expose sprawling drug network as agency seizes opioids, cocaine, and cannabis worth billions.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 63-year-old Chinese national, Ting Hung Kiong, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos after she arrived with 31 kilograms of “Canadian Loud,” a potent synthetic cannabis strain concealed in two suitcases.

Kiong, a Malaysia-naturalized grandmother, was intercepted on May 17, 2026, after flying in from Thailand via Dubai. During interrogation, she told investigators the trip was sponsored by her daughter.

In a separate operation, NDLEA officials uncovered a massive consignment of 1.8 million Tapentadol pills valued at ₦2.19 billion at the airport’s import shed on May 22. The 29 cartons, which originated from India, were handed over to the agency by the Nigeria Customs Service following days of coordinated surveillance.

The agency also recorded multiple arrests across key airports. At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, Onyeka Valentine Emeka was apprehended on May 20 after arriving from Sierra Leone, with 185.36 grams of cocaine recovered from him.

A day later in Abuja, operatives arrested 29-year-old building engineer Babatunde Prosper Afekhide at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. He was found with 10,280 opioid pills carefully concealed in foil and hidden inside his luggage while attempting to board a flight to Italy.

Beyond passenger interceptions, NDLEA intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking networks using courier services. Shipments containing Ecstasy, Tramadol, and skunk were intercepted en route to destinations in the Netherlands, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Simultaneous raids across Edo, Kano, Lagos, and Ekiti states led to the seizure of 1,605 kilograms of skunk and nearly 200,000 Exol-5 pills, further underscoring the scale of the operations.

Chairman of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the coordinated efforts, noting that the successes reflect a balanced approach between aggressive drug supply reduction and ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns, according to agency spokesperson Femi Babafemi.