Abuja, Feb. 23, 2025 – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 24-year-old Thai lady, Pattaphi Wimonnat, while attempting to smuggle in 48.60 kilograms of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Spokesman, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
He said Wimonnat was arrested on Thursday, Feb. 20, by NDLEA operatives while attempting to smuggle into Nigeria 43 parcels of the drugs weighing 46.60 kilograms.
She was arrested after the illicit consignment was discovered in her luggage.
According to the statement, the suspect was arrested at the airport’s arrival hall during the inward clearance of passengers from Thailand through Doha and the illicit consignment was discovered in her boxes.
“The suspect, who confessed to being a hired drug trafficker, said the drug cartel, which recruited her, promised to pay her $3,000 upon successful delivery of the illicit drug consignment in Nigeria,” the statement read.
The NDLEA said its operatives also successfully intercepted a syndicate which attempted to ship 68 parcels of Ghanaian Loud, with a total weight of 42.2 kilograms, concealed in the walls of crated cartons to London, UK, through the export shed of Lagos Airport, on February 21.2025
“Three suspects, a freight agent and two dispatch riders were initially arrested in connection with the seizure before the mastermind of the shipment, Samuel Bitris, was swiftly traced to his Exodus Estate, Ajah, Lagos home where he was arrested.”
The NDLEA said its operatives intercepted 49 cartons containing 49,000 pills of Tamol, a brand of Tramadol 225mg, in a 40ft container and arrested four suspects in operations across Port Harcourt, Nasarawa, and Niger states.
It said it arrested 14,480 drug traffickers and seized 2.4 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs between January and October 2024 at seaports, airports, land borders and communities across the country (GBN)
