Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a 63 year old Chinese woman, identified as Ting Hung Kiong, for allegedly attempting to smuggle a large consignment of illicit drugs into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
According to reports, the suspect, who is said to be a Chinese national naturalised in Malaysia, was apprehended during inward clearance operations after arriving in Nigeria from Thailand through Dubai aboard an Emirates Airlines flight. NDLEA officials disclosed that the woman was caught with a significant quantity of “Canadian Loud,” a highly potent synthetic strain of cannabis, concealed in her luggage.
The anti narcotics agency revealed that the arrest followed intelligence gathering and close surveillance by its operatives stationed at the Lagos airport. Preliminary investigations reportedly showed that the suspect was linked to an international drug trafficking network operating across multiple countries, using air routes to move prohibited substances into Nigeria and other parts of Africa. ..READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
The development has once again highlighted growing concerns over the increasing sophistication of transnational drug syndicates targeting Nigeria as a transit and destination point for hard drugs. NDLEA officials stated that the agency has intensified screening and profiling procedures at airports and border points to combat the activities of traffickers attempting to beat security checks through creative concealment methods.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining its crackdown on drug trafficking networks, stressing that no individual, regardless of nationality, age or status, would be spared if found culpable in illegal drug operations. The arrest adds to a growing list of recent drug busts recorded at Nigerian airports in recent months as authorities continue to strengthen enforcement measures against narcotics smuggling.
