Canadian Woman Arrested at Lagos Airport as NDLEA Foils N9 Billion Opioid Smuggling Operation

In a significant drug bust, a 41-year-old Canadian woman, Adrienne Munju, was apprehended by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.

The arrest occurred during the clearance of passengers from a KLM flight arriving from Canada on Thursday, October 3, 2024. Upon inspection of her luggage, authorities discovered 74 parcels of “Canadian Loud,” a potent strain of synthetic cannabis, weighing a total of 35.20 kilograms concealed within two of her three bags.

In her statement to the NDLEA, Adrienne revealed, “I was recruited to traffic the consignment through an online platform for 10,000 Canadian dollars upon successful delivery in Lagos.”

She further explained that financial strain prompted her involvement, saying, “I took the offer because I needed the money to pay for my ongoing master’s degree programme in Canada.”

The NDLEA’s operations extended beyond the airport as they intercepted a staggering 13,298,000 pills of opioids, including Tramadol and various other narcotics, at the Port Harcourt Ports in Rivers State.

The seized drugs, valued at over N9 billion, were discovered in three containers arriving from India during a 100% joint examination conducted by NDLEA and Nigerian Customs officials on October 2 and 3.

In a related operation at the Tincan seaport in Lagos, NDLEA operatives uncovered 100 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 50 kilograms, which were hidden among four imported vehicles in a container. The operation led to the arrest of suspect Abutbakar Shuaibu Ibrahim, who was linked to the illicit consignments found in one of the vehicles.

Further actions in Taraba State, a commercial bus marked JAL 198 YQ, which was transporting large quantities of opioids concealed in the vehicle’s body compartments was intercepted.

Another suspect, Chibugor Okafor, was arrested with 80 blocks of cannabis weighing 38 kilograms.

In Lagos, Bolanle Ajenifuja was apprehended on October 4 for possessing 700 liters of “skuchies,” a mixture of local chapman and illicit drugs.

Additionally, NDLEA raids on cannabis farms near the boundary of Edo and Ondo states resulted in the destruction of 9,966.332 kilograms of the substance, along with the recovery of 48 kilograms of processed psychoactive material.

The NDLEA continues its proactive approach with the ongoing “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) initiative, conducting sensitization activities in schools, workplaces, and communities across Nigeria. Recent outreach efforts included lectures at various educational institutions in Katsina, Ebonyi, Osun, and Akwa Ibom states.

Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, commended the efforts of his team, stating, “Their operational successes and approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.”