NDLEA flags foreign drug traffickers after S’Africans’ arrests

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has expressed concern regarding foreign drug traffickers, stating that South African nationals have taken the lead in drug trafficking operations in Nigeria. According to the agency, these individuals facilitate the movement of illicit drugs through the country to other global destinations.

Francis Okogun, an Assistant Director at the NDLEA Media and Advocacy Department, disclosed that three South Africans have been arrested with large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and synthetic cannabis. Daily Trust reports that in October 2026, a South African woman named Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie was arrested at Port Harcourt International Airport for attempting to smuggle 32.74 kilograms of "Thai Loud" synthetic cannabis in her luggage.

Additionally, Daily Trust reports the July 6, 2026, arrest of 38-year-old South African Will Jessica Ann at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. She was found with 14 large blocks of heroin weighing 5.75 kilograms concealed in her luggage, having used her three-year-old son to attempt to evade security screenings.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Daily Trust — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.