Nigerian returning from Thailand nabbed with massive heroin haul

In a dramatic crackdown on drug smuggling, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have apprehended a Thailand returnee at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Nigeria, unmasking a heroin haul worth over 3.2 billion Nigerian nairas (approximately 65 million baht).

The suspect, Oguejiofor Nnaemeka Simonpeter, a 29 year old mechanical engineering graduate, was caught red-handed attempting to smuggle 13.30 kilogrammes of heroin in six backpacks, sewn into two suitcases.

Simonpeter, who had travelled from Thailand via Qatar, had a cunning plan to bypass security. His luggage was initially routed to Ghana, but after landing in Lagos, he rerouted the bags to Nigeria in an attempt to collect them as “rush bags” and avoid scrutiny. NDLEA operatives, however, intercepted the suitcases during his exit.

“The heroin was neatly sewn into the backpacks,” an NDLEA official disclosed, with the suspect admitting he was promised US$7,000 (approximately 233,000 baht) for successfully delivering the drugs to Lagos and Accra.

This bust wasn’t the only major success for the NDLEA. Seaports across the country also saw a flurry of seizures, with opioids worth a staggering 22.7 billion Nigerian nairas confiscated. These included over 32 million tramadol pills and nearly 1.5 million bottles of codeine-based syrup from the Lekki, Apapa, and Port Harcourt ports.

Further operations led to arrests and drug recoveries across Nigeria, including a suspect caught with 50,000 tramadol pills in Anambra, and a series of cannabis raids in Edo State, reported Newsdiary Online.

NDLEA Chairman Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa praised the agency’s relentless efforts in combatting drug trafficking.

“The balance between supply reduction and demand reduction efforts is crucial.”

In related news, a South Korean man, previously deported from Thailand, was caught sneaking back into the country and living in Pattaya for weeks, with heroin syringes found scattered in his apartment. The shocking arrest raised eyebrows, with questions swirling about his alleged involvement in drug trafficking.