Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 38-year-old businesswoman, Iwebema Ogechi Peace, for alleged drug trafficking after cocaine was discovered concealed in her luggage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The suspect was apprehended on June 21, 2026, at the airport’s departure hall while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight bound for Beijing, China.
Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA officers conducted a search of her checked baggage and uncovered four parcels of cocaine weighing 7.5 kilogrammes, hidden in a professionally constructed false bottom.
Iwebema reportedly claimed she frequently travels to China for business, importing goods for resale in Nigeria. However, authorities allege her latest trip was part of a drug trafficking operation.
In a separate operation, NDLEA, in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies, intercepted a 40-foot container at the Apapa Port Complex containing 4,959 kilogrammes of “Canadian Loud,” a potent strain of cannabis.
The illicit shipment, valued at over ₦12.3 billion, had been under surveillance for weeks after departing Toronto, Canada.
The agency also exposed a dangerous syndicate that plants illegal drugs in unsuspecting passengers’ luggage at motor parks.
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The scheme was uncovered after operatives intercepted a Sienna bus traveling from Nnewi to Abuja, where a package containing 467.7 grams of suspected methamphetamine was discovered hidden in a passenger’s bag.
Subsequent investigations led to multiple arrests, including bus loaders and suspected accomplices, revealing an organized network targeting innocent travelers.
Further crackdowns across Lagos and beyond resulted in several arrests:
A 57-year-old suspect was caught in Iddo with 209.5 kilogrammes of cannabis heading to Enugu.
Three suspects were intercepted at Mile 2 Bridge with 558,900 pills of Tramadol concealed in a specially modified truck.
Two individuals were arrested along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway transporting 118 kilogrammes of skunk.
Additional suspects were apprehended in Amukoko with 28.8 kilogrammes of cannabis.
Meanwhile, NDLEA continues to intensify its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign nationwide, targeting schools, communities, and workplaces to curb substance abuse.
Chairman of the agency, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers involved in the operations, urging continued vigilance in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse across the country.
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