63-Year-Old Chinese Grandma Arrested as NDLEA Busts Drug Trafficking Network

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a 63-year-old Chinese woman, Ting Hung Kiong, over an attempt to smuggle a large consignment of synthetic cannabis, popularly known as Canadian Loud, into Nigeria.

According to the agency, the suspect, who reportedly naturalised in Malaysia, was arrested on May 17, 2026, upon arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos aboard an Emirates Airline flight from Thailand through Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

NDLEA said the suspect was intercepted at the Terminal 2 Arrival Hall after operatives discovered two large travel boxes containing 31 kilograms of synthetic cannabis.

Investigations revealed that she travelled from Malaysia to Thailand before proceeding to Nigeria through the UAE. During interrogation, the suspect claimed she worked as a caregiver in Malaysia and stated that her daughter sponsored the trip.

She reportedly spent two weeks in Thailand before being handed the illicit consignment at the airport for delivery in Nigeria.

In another major operation, NDLEA operatives recovered 1,825,710 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg at the import shed of the Lagos airport following close monitoring of the shipment, which arrived from India aboard an Emirates Cargo flight.

The agency disclosed that the opioid consignment, valued at over N2.19 billion, was eventually handed over by the Nigeria Customs Service on May 22, 2026.

At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, NDLEA officers also arrested Onyeka Valentine Emeka after he excreted 185.36 grams of cocaine during observation following his arrival from Sierra Leone through Addis Ababa.

Similarly, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, a 29-year-old engineer, Babatunde Prosper Afekhide, was arrested while attempting to board a flight to Italy with thousands of opioid pills hidden inside his luggage.

The agency also intercepted MDMA, tramadol and other narcotics concealed in parcels destined for the Netherlands, United States and United Kingdom.

Across states including Edo, Kano, Lagos and Ekiti, NDLEA operatives recovered hundreds of kilograms of skunk and arrested several suspects during coordinated raids.

Chairman of the agency, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the operations and urged commands nationwide to sustain anti-drug enforcement and public sensitisation efforts.