Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Canadian woman for allegedly importing a large quantity of synthetic cannabis and seized millions of opioid pills in separate operations, the agency said Sunday.
Adrienne Munju, 41, was apprehended on October 3 at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport after arriving on a KLM flight from Canada. NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said Munju was found with 74 parcels of a potent synthetic cannabis strain known as “Canadian Loud,” weighing 35.20 kilograms.
“The suspect claimed she was recruited online and offered 10,000 Canadian dollars for successful delivery in Lagos,” Babafemi stated. “She said she accepted the offer to pay for her ongoing master’s degree program in Canada.”
In a separate operation, the NDLEA intercepted over 13 million pills of various opioids, including Tramadol and codeine-based cough syrup, at the Onne Port in Rivers State. The drugs, valued at over 9 billion naira (approximately $11 million USD), were discovered in containers from India during a joint examination with Nigerian Customs on October 2 and 3.
Additional seizures included 50 kilograms of Canadian Loud at Lagos’ Tincan seaport, concealed in an imported vehicle, and 38 kilograms of cannabis in Taraba State, hidden in bags of cassava flour. The agency also confiscated 700 liters of “skuchies,” a mixture of local drinks and illicit drugs, in Lagos, and destroyed nearly 10,000 kilograms of cannabis on farms straddling Edo and Ondo states.
“These operations demonstrate our commitment to stemming the flow of illicit drugs into and within Nigeria,” said NDLEA Chairman Buba Marwa. “We’re particularly concerned about the influx of synthetic drugs and opioids, which pose significant health risks to our youth.”
The arrests and seizures highlight Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with drug trafficking and abuse. The NDLEA has intensified efforts to intercept shipments at ports and borders while also targeting local production and distribution networks.
As investigations continue, the suspects face potential lengthy prison terms if convicted under Nigeria’s strict drug laws.
punchng.com
