Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 63‑year‑old Chinese woman, Ting Hung Kiong, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 31 kilograms of a synthetic cannabis strain known as “Canadian Loud” into Nigeria. The suspect, a Chinese national who has been naturalized in Malaysia, was apprehended on Sunday, May 17, 2026, upon her arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. She was intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the Terminal 2 Arrival Hall while carrying two large travel boxes that contained the illicit drug consignment.
Investigations into the suspect’s travel history have revealed a complex smuggling route. NDLEA spokesman, Mr. Femi Babafemi, who confirmed the arrest in a statement on Sunday, said Ting Hung Kiong travelled from Malaysia to Thailand, where she spent two weeks before heading to Nigeria. During her stay in Thailand, she reportedly received the drug consignment at the airport, which she was tasked with delivering in Nigeria. During interrogation, the suspect stated that she works as a caregiver in Malaysia and that her daughter sponsored her international trip. She did not disclose the value of the transaction, but 31 kilograms of the high‑grade synthetic strain would have a significant street value running into hundreds of millions of Naira, representing a major interception for the agency.
This arrest is part of a larger, intensified crackdown by the NDLEA. In a separate major operation at the Lagos airport import shed, the agency recovered a shipment of 1,825,710 tablets of Tapentadol 250mg, a powerful opioid, valued at over N2.19 billion. The consignment, which arrived from India on an Emirates Cargo flight on Friday, May 22, had been under close surveillance before it was handed over to the NDLEA.
The NDLEA also recorded successes in other states. At the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, a passenger, Onyeka Valentine Emeka, was intercepted and later excreted 185.36 grams of cocaine. At the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, a 29-year-old building engineer, Babatunde Prosper Afekhide, was arrested on Wednesday, May 21, attempting to board a flight to Italy with 10,280 pills of Tramadol and Tapentadol concealed in his luggage. In Lagos, NDLEA operatives at a courier company intercepted 1,174 pills of MDMA (Ecstasy) concealed in bicycle luggage carriers destined for the Netherlands.
Other nationwide operations led to the recovery of 59 jumbo bags of skunk weighing 489 kilograms in Edo State, and 1,116 kilograms of skunk from a warehouse in Ikole-Ekiti, where a 54-year-old suspect was arrested. The suspect, Ting Hung Kiong, remains in NDLEA custody and will face charges in court upon the conclusion of the investigation.
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