The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has detained a 24-year-old Thai woman for prosecution after she was caught with prohibited substances at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos.

NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said in a press release on Sunday in Abuja that the woman was allegedly found in possession of 43 parcels of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, weighing 46.60 kilogrammes.

He said the NDLEA operatives had discovered the illicit consignments in her boxes while attempting to smuggle them into Nigeria through the Lagos airport.

He said the suspect allegedly confessed to being a hired drug trafficker and was arrested on Thursday.

Mr Babafemi stated that she was intercepted during the inward clearance of passengers on a Qatar Airways flight from Thailand via Doha, Qatar, at the arrival hall of Terminal 2 at Lagos airport.

“She said the drug cartel, which recruited her, promised to pay her $3,000 (about N4.5 million) upon successful delivery of the illicit drug consignment in Nigeria,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Babafemi said NDLEA operatives foiled another attempt by a drug trafficking syndicate to smuggle 68 parcels of Ghanaian Loud weighing 42.2kg.

According to the NDLEA spokesman, the drugs were hidden within the walls of crated cartons and were destined for London, UK, via the export shed at Lagos airport.

“Three suspects, a freight agent and two dispatch riders were initially arrested concerning the seizure.

“This was before the mastermind of the shipment was swiftly traced to his Exodus Estate, Ajah, Lagos home where he was arrested,” he said.

Mr Babafemi said the operatives also intercepted 49 cartons containing 49,000 pills of Tamol at the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers, by NDLEA officers on Thursday.

He disclosed that the drug, which was a brand of Tramadol 225mg, was discovered in a 40ft container during a joint examination of the shipment with men of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and other security agencies.

In another development, Mr Babafemi said that in Nasarawa State, NDLEA operatives, on Saturday, arrested two suspects at Kokona/Keffi with 517kg of skunk.

Mr Babafemi said two other suspects were nabbed in a Toyota Corolla car conveying 62.7 kilogrammes of skunk along Sabon Asibiti Road Kontagora, Niger, on Thursday.

“Also, with the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities, among others, in the past week.

“This includes WADA sensitisation lectures to students and staff of Maku Grammar School, Tapa, Oyo state, as well as Comprehensive Secondary School, Orogwe, Imo.

“Others include Jama’atu Islamiyya Secondary School, Ankpa, Kogi State; and Owerri-Aba Primary School, Ugwunagba, Imo state, among others,” he said.

Mr Babafemi quoted the NDLEA chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa(rtd) as commending the officers and men of MMIA, PHPC, Niger, and Nasarawa commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures.

(NAN)