NDLEA arrests South African woman for heroin trafficking

Nigeria's National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) apprehended a 38-year-old South African woman, Will Jessica Ann, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. She is accused of attempting to smuggle 5.75 kilograms of heroin into Nigeria, reportedly using her young son as a shield.

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She initially denied travelling with any checked-in luggage. However, operatives established that two bags containing 14 large blocks of heroin bore baggage tags that matched the claim tags attached to her passport.

The suspect was detained on Monday during the arrival processing of Qatar Airways flight QR1433 from Doha. Initially, she denied having any checked luggage. However, NDLEA operatives confirmed that two bags containing 14 large blocks of heroin bore baggage tags matching those attached to her passport. She later admitted ownership, claiming she had forgotten she checked them in, and stated she traveled from Cambodia through Doha.

Intelligence suggests Ann is part of a transnational drug trafficking ring operating between Cambodia and South Africa, allegedly with her husband, Jan Coenraad De Jager. This arrest is part of a series of significant operations conducted by the NDLEA nationwide.

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She reportedly told investigators she travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja.

In other incidents, NDLEA officers in Lagos intercepted Onyechere Daniel Chinadufor, a commercial motorcyclist, who arrived from Madagascar. A search of his backpack revealed 87 wraps of methamphetamine, with an additional 13 pellets excreted later, totaling 100 wraps weighing 1.715 kilograms. He claimed to have been recruited into drug trafficking by an associate based in Uganda after working as a motorcycle taxi rider for 15 years.

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NDLEA said intelligence reports indicate that the suspect is a member of a transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Cambodia-South Africa axis with her husband and alleged accomplice, Jan Coenraad De Jager.

Additionally, a joint operation at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos seized 8,287 bags of "Canadian Loud" cannabis, weighing 4,143.5 kilograms and valued at over ₦10.3 billion. This seizure followed weeks of surveillance on a container imported from Canada. NDLEA also thwarted an attempt to export 2.5 kilograms of skunk concealed in a gas compressor destined for Cyprus.

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According to NDLEA, a search of his backpack led to the recovery of 87 wraps of methamphetamine concealed in clothing, while he later excreted 13 additional pellets after being placed under observation, bringing the total to 100 wraps weighing 1.715 kilogrammes.