Lagos, Nigeria — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 24-year-old Thai national, Ms. Pattaphi Wimonnat, for attempting to smuggle 46.60 kilograms of Canadian Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, into Nigeria.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to the statement, NDLEA operatives intercepted Wimonnat on February 20, 2025, during passenger clearance at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. She had arrived on a Qatar Airways flight from Thailand via Doha.
“The suspect, who admitted to being a courier for a drug syndicate, was promised a payment of $3,000 upon successful delivery of the illicit consignment in Nigeria,” the statement revealed.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation, NDLEA agents intercepted a consignment of Ghanaian Loud, weighing 42.2 kilograms, at the airport’s export shed. The contraband, concealed within crated cartons, was bound for London, UK.
Following investigations, three individuals, including a freight agent and two dispatch riders, which were initially arrested. Further intelligence led to the arrest of Samuel Bitris, the mastermind behind the shipment, at his residence in Exodus Estate, Ajah, Lagos.
Additionally, NDLEA officers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, seized 49,000 pills of Tamol, a brand of Tramadol, during a joint operation with the Nigeria Customs Service and other security agencies. The 225mg pills were discovered hidden inside a 40ft container at the Port Harcourt Port Complex on February 20.
Elsewhere in Nasarawa State, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects, Bello Adamu (40) and Pius Azuka (42), in Kokona/Keffi with 517 kilograms of skunk. Similarly, in Niger State, Usman Ruwa (43) and Yunusa Haruna (45) were caught transporting 62.7 kilograms of skunk in a Toyota Corolla along Sabon Asibiti Road, Kontagora, on February 20.
Commending the successful operations, NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.) applauded the officers for their commitment to combating drug trafficking through a strategic balance of supply reduction and demand reduction efforts.
By Taiwo Olatinwo | February 23, 2025
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