The Digest:
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has made its largest single heroin seizure at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, arresting a 30-year-old Brazilian woman, Ingrid Benevides. The suspect was intercepted with 30.09 kilograms of heroin, valued at over ₦3 billion, concealed within factory-sealed coffee packs. NDLEA officials stated she arrived on a Qatar Airways flight and was under prior surveillance. In separate operations, the agency also intercepted thousands of opioid pills at Lagos's Murtala Muhammed Airport, seized a large cannabis shipment in Lekki, and arrested suspects with explosives in Kaduna.
Key Points:
- The massive seizure prevents a significant quantity of a highly addictive and destructive drug from reaching Nigerian streets.
- The successful interception demonstrates improved intelligence-gathering and operational capacity at key international entry points.
- The arrest of a foreign national highlights Nigeria's role as both a transit and destination point in global drug trafficking networks.
- The coordinated seizures across airports, waterways, and highways underscore the multifaceted and widespread nature of the illicit trade.
- The operation serves as a strong deterrent and showcases the NDLEA's ongoing efforts to combat narcotics and related crimes.
Sources: Channels Television, NDLEA
