NDLEA busts Thai drug courier at Lagos Airport, thwarts UK-bound drug shipment

In a major crackdown on international drug trafficking, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 24-year-old Thai national, Ms. Pattaphi Wimonnat, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, while attempting to smuggle 43 parcels of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, into Nigeria.

The illicit drug consignment, weighing 46.60 kilograms, was discovered concealed in her luggage during an inbound clearance operation.

According to NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the suspect was apprehended upon arrival from Thailand via Doha, Qatar, on a Qatar Airways flight on Thursday, February 20, 2025.

During the interrogation, Wimonnat confessed to being a hired drug courier, revealing that she was promised a payment of $3,000 upon successfully delivering the contraband in Nigeria.

In a separate operation at the MMIA export shed on Friday, February 21, NDLEA operatives intercepted a UK-bound drug shipment containing 68 parcels of Ghanaian Loud, a high-grade variant of cannabis, with a total weight of 42.2 kilograms.

The drugs were cleverly concealed within the walls of crated cartons destined for London.

Three individuals, including a freight agent and two dispatch riders, were initially arrested in connection with the illegal consignment. Further investigations led to the swift arrest of the mastermind behind the operation, identified as Samuel Bitris, at his residence in Exodus Estate, Ajah, Lagos.

The NDLEA’s war against drug trafficking extended beyond Lagos, as operatives at the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers State, intercepted 49 cartons containing 49,000 pills of Tamol (a brand of Tramadol 225mg) during a joint inspection with Customs and other security agencies on Thursday, February 20. The contraband was discovered inside a 40-foot shipping container.

Additionally, in Nasarawa State, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects, Bello Adamu (40) and Pius Azuka (42), on Saturday, February 22, at Kokona/Keffi with 517 kilograms of skunk.

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Similarly, in Niger State, operatives arrested two more suspects, Usman Ruwa (43) and Yunusa Haruna (45), on Thursday, February 20, while transporting 62.7 kilograms of skunk in a Toyota Corolla along Sabon Asibiti road, Kontagora.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), lauded the agency’s officers across various commands for their relentless efforts in intercepting illicit drugs and dismantling trafficking networks.

He emphasized the importance of NDLEA’s dual approach—drug supply reduction through enforcement operations and drug demand reduction through rehabilitation and awareness campaigns.

“These operational successes demonstrate our commitment to ridding Nigeria of the menace of drug trafficking and abuse. The diligence and professionalism of our officers remain commendable, and we will continue to intensify our efforts to make our society safer,” Marwa stated.

The NDLEA has reaffirmed its resolve to disrupt drug trafficking syndicates and prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law as part of its ongoing mission to safeguard the nation from the dangers of illicit drugs.