NDLEA arrests Indian lady with 72 parcels of heroin in chocolate wraps at Kano airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, said its operatives have intercepted a 42-year-old Indian lady, Ms. Neetu Neetu, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA, Kano, with 72 parcels of heroin factory-sealed in wafer wraps and packaged as chocolates.

NDLEA stated that the class A drug consignment, weighing a total of 11 kilograms, was recovered from Neetu’s luggage after a thorough search, following processed credible intelligence, during an inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1431 from Bangkok, Thailand, via Vietnam and Doha at the arrival hall of Kano airport on Friday, 14th March 2025.

This was made known in a statement on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja.

Babafemi disclosed that Neetu's arrest signifies a growing attempt by drug trafficking organizations to hire white ladies and foreign nationals to move illicit drugs through Nigerian borders.

He stated that vigilant NDLEA operatives have consistently frustrated these attempts with the aid of modern technological tools and proactive intelligence, quoting the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), in his reaction to Neetu’s arrest.

In another interdiction operation in Kano, NDLEA officers on Thursday, 20th March, arrested a 45-year-old suspect, Michael Ogundele, with a 50-litre steel gas cylinder at Gadar Tamburawa, along Zaria-Kano Road. Based on credible intelligence, welding tools were later used to cut open the giant cylinder, revealing 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed inside.

Meanwhile, Sunday Ogar, 40, was nabbed at Gunduwawa area of Kano on Wednesday, 19th March, with 27kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis. Additionally, a female suspect, Khadijah Abdullahi, 40, was arrested with 424 bottles of codeine-based syrup at Lungun Bulala Yalwa area of the state on Tuesday, 18th March.

In Lagos, the duo of Olumuyiwa Kolawole and Samod Adisa were nabbed with 67.5kg of skunk in Mushin, just as 100.8kg of the same psychoactive substance was recovered from the store of two fleeing suspects in Anifowoshe area of Mushin. Meanwhile, Isah Idris was arrested in Apapa with 4.5kg of skunk, 600 grams of tramadol 225mg, and 30 litres of codeine syrup on Tuesday, 18th March.

Another suspect, Yahaya Mohamed, was arrested the same day in Ikotun area of the state with different quantities of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.

Earlier in his reaction, NDLEA boss Marwa commended the officers and men of MAKIA, Lagos, and Kano Commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures.

Marwa noted with satisfaction the balance in drug supply and demand reduction efforts of all the formations nationwide, even as he charged them not to relent.