NDLEA Arrests Businesswoman With Cocaine, Intercepts Canadian Loud Worth N12.3bn

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 38-year-old businesswoman, Iwebema Ogechi Peace, following the discovery of a large consignment of cocaine concealed in false bottom of her luggage, the Nigerian Voice has learnt.

The suspect was apprehended while heading to Beijing, China, aboard a Qatar Airways flight through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.

In a statement released on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, disclosed that Iwebema who claimed traveling to China to buy items for sale in Nigeria, was arrested on Sunday, 21st June 2026 at the departure hall of terminal 2 of the Lagos airport based on credible intelligence.

“A search of her check-in luggage led to the discovery of four large parcels of cocaine concealed in false bottom professionally created in her bag,” the statement partly reads.

“The parcels of the class A drug found hidden in the bag have a combined weight of 7.5 kilograms.”

Similarly, operatives of two Special Operations Units of NDLEA intercepted a total of 4,959 kilograms of the illicit drug consignment worth N12.3 billion in street value after tracking and monitoring a container laden with 195 big sacks of Canadian Loud, a strong strain of cannabis from Toronto, Canada, for over four weeks.

The items were recovered from the container on Wednesday 23rd June 2026 during a joint examination of the shipment by officers of the Apapa Strategic Command of the Agency, men of Customs Service, other security agencies and ports stakeholders at the Apapa ports complex, Lagos.

“The large illicit drug consignment which was loaded into a 40ft container comprising a Ford and a Nissan vehicle came under NDLEA tracking and monitoring system since 25th April 2026 when it arrived Toronto, Canada via truck, Montreal via rail on 29th April, Tanger Med Morocco on 11th May, loaded on another vessel on 23rd May before arriving Tincan port Lagos on 4th June and discharged there 5th June before the container eventually left Tincan and arrived Apapa port on Monday 22nd June,” Babafemi explained.