by Lovely Onohwakpor
NDLEA Seizes ₦3bn Heroin Consignment Hidden in Coffee Packs at Abuja Airport
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 30-year-old Brazilian national at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after uncovering a large consignment of heroin concealed in sealed coffee packages.
The suspect was taken into custody on Friday, January 23, shortly after arriving in Nigeria aboard a Qatar Airways flight from Brazil, following intelligence-led surveillance by anti-narcotics officers.
Confirming the development in a statement issued on Sunday, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, said a thorough search of the suspect’s luggage led to the discovery of 21 factory-sealed packs of Brazilian coffee. Upon closer inspection, the contents were found to be white powdery substances rather than coffee.
Laboratory analysis later confirmed the substances to be heroin, with a combined weight of 30.09 kilograms. Babafemi described the seizure as the largest single haul of heroin ever recorded at the Abuja airport, with an estimated street value exceeding ₦3 billion.
According to the agency, the suspect, who reportedly works as a private security officer in Brazil, attempted to disguise the illicit drugs as commercial food products in an effort to evade detection.
During preliminary questioning, she reportedly told investigators that she travelled to Nigeria under the pretext of a holiday, a claim NDLEA officials said was inconsistent with the nature of the consignment recovered.
The agency said investigations are ongoing to identify other individuals connected to the trafficking attempt, while reiterating its resolve to tighten surveillance at the nation’s entry points to curb international drug trafficking.
