By Parrot Newspaper 
NDLEA Arrests Indian Woman with 72 Parcels of Heroin Disguised as Chocolate at Kano Airport
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a 42-year-old Indian woman, Ms. Neetu Neetu, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, with 72 parcels of heroin cleverly disguised as chocolates.
A Sophisticated Smuggling Attempt
According to NDLEA, the contraband, weighing 11 kilograms, was found in Neetu’s luggage during an inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1431 from Bangkok, Thailand, via Vietnam and Doha. Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives conducted a thorough search and uncovered the factory-sealed wafer wraps containing the illicit substance.
The arrest, made on Friday, March 14, 2025, highlights the evolving tactics of international drug syndicates. Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media & Advocacy, revealed in a Sunday statement that drug cartels are now recruiting foreign nationals, particularly white women, to evade suspicion while trafficking illicit substances through Nigerian borders.
NDLEA’s Relentless Crackdown
The agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers for their vigilance. He emphasized that NDLEA’s proactive intelligence and cutting-edge technological tools have been instrumental in frustrating such smuggling attempts.
Neetu’s arrest was not an isolated success. In a separate operation in Kano on March 20, NDLEA operatives apprehended 45-year-old Michael Ogundele, who was caught transporting 50,000 tramadol 225mg pills concealed inside a steel gas cylinder. The suspect was intercepted at Gadar Tamburawa, along Zaria-Kano Road, after intelligence reports pointed to his illicit cargo.
Additionally, in another Kano raid on March 19, a suspect, Sunday Ogar, 40, was caught with 27kg of skunk (a potent strain of cannabis) in the Gunduwawa area. The next day, a female suspect, Khadijah Abdullahi, 40, was arrested with 424 bottles of codeine-based syrup in the Lungun Bulala Yalwa area of the state.
Lagos Also on NDLEA’s Radar
Beyond Kano, NDLEA’s crackdown extended to Lagos, where two suspects, Olumuyiwa Kolawole and Samod Adisa, were arrested in Mushin with 67.5kg of skunk. Meanwhile, another stash of 100.8kg of the same substance was recovered from a drug store belonging to two fleeing suspects in Anifowoshe.
Further arrests in Lagos included Isah Idris, caught in Apapa with 4.5kg of skunk, 600 grams of tramadol 225mg, and 30 liters of codeine syrup. On the same day, Yahaya Mohamed was nabbed in Ikotun with varying quantities of cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.
A Nationwide Commitment to Drug War
Reacting to these arrests, NDLEA boss Marwa praised the efforts of officers in MAKIA, Lagos, and Kano. He reaffirmed NDLEA’s commitment to tackling both drug supply and demand, ensuring that Nigeria does not become a hub for illicit drug activities.
The NDLEA’s relentless efforts continue to send a clear message—Nigeria is not a safe passage for drug traffickers, regardless of their nationality or smuggling tactics.