Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have detained a 35-year-old lady, Chidinma Agbazue, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos state.
Agbazue was apprehended while attempting to export 20 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 10.70 kilograms, cleverly concealed in African salad, popularly known as Abacha, and dried vegetables to Doha in Qatar.
NDLEA officers, in collaboration with men of the Department of State Services, DSS, intercepted Chidinma on Thursday, March 28th, while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight from Lagos to Doha.
The discovery was made during passenger clearance at Terminal 11 of MMIA.
A statement by Femi Babafemi, Director,.Media & Advocacy of the NDLEA, said preliminary investigations revealed that Chidinma, who had been based in Qatar, returned to Nigeria last December for Christmas celebrations.
The statement said the suspect admitted to receiving the illicit consignment while staying at Club Dice Hotel in the Ikotun area of Lagos, just before her scheduled return to Doha.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects, Monday Okeke and Chigozie Emeka, on Tuesday, March 26th, in the Oniwaya, Yaba, and Agege areas of Lagos.
The agency recovered 842,560 pills of opioids, notably tramadol, along with 15 liters of codeine syrup and 596 grams of Molly.
During the arrest, Okeke attempted to bribe NDLEA officers with N5 million in cash, which was promptly refused.
The money was confiscated and documented as evidence to prosecute the suspects in court.