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 concealed in her luggage to China.
The suspect was arrested on Sunday, June 21, 2026, at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to Beijing, China.
According to the NDLEA, the arrest followed credible intelligence received by its operatives. A search of her check-in luggage revealed four large parcels of cocaine hidden inside a professionally constructed false bottom of the bag.
The agency said Iwebema claimed she travelled frequently to China to purchase goods for sale in Nigeria.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted a large shipment of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, valued at over N12.3 billion.
The seizure followed a four-week tracking operation by two Special Operations Units of the agency. The consignment, weighing 4,959 kilograms, was recovered on Wednesday, June 23, 2026, during a joint examination of a 40-foot container at the Apapa Ports Complex in Lagos.
The container, which contained a Ford and a Nissan vehicle, was loaded with 195 large sacks of the illicit substance.
The NDLEA revealed that the shipment had been monitored since April 25, 2026, when it departed Toronto, Canada.
It was transported through Montreal, Canada, Tanger Med in Morocco, and eventually arrived at the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, on June 4 before being moved to Apapa Port.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives in Abuja and Anambra also uncovered a syndicate planting illicit drugs in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers at motor parks.
The investigation began after officers intercepted a Sienna bus travelling from Nnewi, Anambra State, at Abaji, Federal Capital Territory, on Saturday, June 20.
During a search of the vehicle, operatives recovered a waybill package containing suspected methamphetamine concealed inside a black nylon bag and hidden among clothes.
The package carried the details of the intended receiver, Gloria Peter, who was later arrested at Utako Motor Park. She denied knowledge of the substance, leading investigators to trace the package to the bus loaders and driver.
Further investigation led to the arrest of the loaders in Nnewi, where one of them admitted placing the drug in the passenger’s luggage on the instruction of the driver, Abdurrazak Isah.
The driver later identified Onyebuchi Victor Okoye as the alleged owner of the consignment. Okoye was subsequently arrested in Abuja, with the seized methamphetamine weighing 467.7 grams.
In another operation, NDLEA operatives arrested a 57-year-old man, Ikechukwu Uwakwe, at a motor park in Iddo, Lagos, with 209.50 kilograms of Scottish Loud.
The cannabis consignment, which was reportedly being transported to Enugu, was intercepted on Saturday, June 27, following intelligence.
The agency also arrested two nationals of Benin Republic, Hossou Tito Julien, 30, and Mancellim Dossou, 19, alongside a Nigerian, Jackson ThankGod, after their truck was intercepted on Mile 2 Bridge, Lagos.
A search of the vehicle revealed 558,900 pills of Tramadol 250mg concealed inside a fabricated compartment.
Similarly, two suspects, Lucky Abonga and Osas Azamobo, were arrested along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway while transporting 118 kilograms of skunk concealed among legitimate goods in a truck heading to Onitsha, Anambra State.
In Lagos, NDLEA officers also arrested Helen Ese Idiji, 40, and Rashidat Sa’adullah, 53, at Amukoko, recovering 28.8 kilograms of skunk.
Investigations revealed that Idiji allegedly stored illicit drug consignments with Sa’adullah before distributing them to customers.