Written by
Ishioma Appiah-Yeboah
A 38-year-old South African woman has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 5.75 kilograms of heroin into Nigeria.
The suspect, identified as Will Jessica Ann, was arrested during the arrival clearance of passengers on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha on Monday, July 6.
According to a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters Femi Babafemi, the agency recovered 14 large blocks of heroin concealed inside two suitcases. The agency says the suspect was travelling with her three-year-old son, allegedly using the child as a cover to avoid suspicion during security screening.
According to the statement, the suspect initially denied having any checked luggage. However, after baggage tags on the suitcases were matched with the claim tags attached to her passport, she admitted the bags belonged to her, claiming she had forgotten she checked them in.
The suspect told investigators she travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja.
The NDLEA says intelligence gathered during the investigation indicates that the suspect and her husband or partner, identified as Jan Coenraad De Jager, are allegedly linked to a transnational drug trafficking network operating between Cambodia and South Africa.
The agency says investigations are continuing to identify and apprehend other members of the syndicate.