The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 34-year-old South African woman with 36.65 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos.

The agency also arrested a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother with 9.45 kilogrammes of high-grade cannabis, popularly known as loud, allegedly imported from the United States.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, said the South African woman was arrested at the departure hall of the Lagos airport on October 7 while trying to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa via Doha.

He said a search of her two travelling bags led to the recovery of 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg, laced with dried pepper, wrapped in cello tape, and packed into seven separate parcels.

“During her interview, she told operatives that she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 specifically to pick up the consignment.

“She said she was recruited by another South African lady, who promised her R20,000 on successful delivery.

“She claimed she was introduced to two other members of the syndicate: one based in the United States and the other a Lagos-based car dealer,” he said.

Mr Babafemi said investigations later led to the arrest of the 46-year-old car dealer on October 14. He was intercepted at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, after days of surveillance at his residence in Shasha.

“He admitted receiving the South African woman at the airport, lodging her at Santiago Hotel in Amuwo-Odofin, and later moved her to Cynarisso Hotel near the airport, ahead of her departure,” he said.

In a separate interdiction operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers arrested a 62-year-old grandmother, a realtor based in Richmond, Texas, who holds both Nigerian and U.S. passports on October 21.

Mr Babafemi said the suspect was arrested after her arrival on a United Airlines flight from Houston.

He said a search of her two checked-in boxes uncovered 18 parcels of loud and synthetic cannabis weighing 9.45kg, concealed with gift wrapping paper in a box.

“She claimed the box was delivered to her home in the U.S. by her daughter and the daughter’s future brother-in-law, for onward delivery in Nigeria to her daughter’s fiancé,” he said.

Meanwhile, operatives of a special operations unit in the NDLEA arrested another suspect on October 23 in the Eti Osa area of Lagos.

Mr Babafemi said the NDLEA operatives recovered 5,820 pills of diazepam, 780 tablets of tramadol, 3.7kg skunk, and 230.25 litres of skuchies. 

(NAN)