The NDLEA has arrested a 24-year-old Thai woman, Pattaphi Wimonnat, for allegedly smuggling 45.6kg of Canadian Loud via Lagos airport. She admitted to being a drug courier. Additional drug busts in Nigeria led to multiple arrests, reinforcing NDLEA’s efforts against illicit drug trafficking and abuse.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 24-year-old Thai woman at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 45.6kg of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis.
The suspect, identified as Pattaphi Wimonnat, was apprehended on February 20 while attempting to enter Nigeria on a Qatar Airways flight from Thailand via Doha. NDLEA operatives discovered the concealed drugs during routine passenger clearance. Upon interrogation, Wimonnat reportedly admitted to being recruited as a drug courier and was promised a $3,000 payment upon successful delivery of the contraband.
In a separate operation the following day, authorities intercepted a shipment of 68 parcels of Ghanaian Loud, hidden within crated cartons intended for export to London. The investigation led to the arrest of three individuals, including a freight agent and two dispatch riders. Further inquiries uncovered the alleged mastermind, Samuel Bitris, who was later arrested at his residence in Ajah, Lagos.
The NDLEA also reported a drug seizure at the Port Harcourt Port Complex, where officials discovered 49,000 tramadol pills hidden in a shipping container. Meanwhile, in Nasarawa and Niger states, officers arrested multiple suspects transporting large quantities of cannabis.
Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, commended his officers for their relentless efforts in tackling drug trafficking and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to both enforcement and public education to curb drug abuse in Nigeria.
