By Oluwakemi Kindness
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 63-year-old Chinese national, Ting Hung Kiong, over an alleged attempt to smuggle 31 kilograms of cannabis into Nigeria.
Kiong, was intercepted on Sunday, 17th May 2026, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, shortly after arriving from Thailand via Dubai on an Emirates Airline flight.
Chairman of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba-Marwa, (rtd), in a statement on Sunday by it spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said she was stopped at the Terminal 2 Arrival Hall following intelligence-led surveillance by NDLEA operatives.
According to the NDLEA, two large suitcases belonging to the suspect were found to contain 31kg of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis.
The drugs were allegedly carefully packed to evade detection during airport screening.
Daughter Sponsored the Trip — Suspect
The statement said during preliminary questioning, the suspect claimed her daughter sponsored her travel from Malaysia to Thailand and onward to Nigeria.
She further stated that she spent about two weeks in Thailand before receiving the luggage, which she was allegedly instructed to deliver in Nigeria.
The NDLEA say investigations are ongoing to uncover the international trafficking network behind the shipment.
NDLEA Links Case to Wider Drug Trafficking Crackdown
The arrest is part of ongoing nationwide operations by the NDLEA targeting drug trafficking syndicates using air and cargo routes.
The agency has recently intensified surveillance at international airports and border points across Nigeria.
The statement added that in separate operations, NDLEA also intercepted large consignments of opioids and other narcotics across Lagos, Abuja, Enugu, Kano, Edo, and Ekiti states.
Seized substances include Tramadol, Tapentadol, MDMA (Ecstasy), and cocaine, hidden in luggage, courier parcels, and warehouse facilities.
N2.1 Billion Opioid Seizure
At the Lagos airport cargo terminal, NDLEA said it recovered over 1.8 million tablets of Tapentadol 250mg imported from India, valued at approximately ₦2.19 billion.
The shipment was intercepted in collaboration with the Nigeria Customs Service.
NDLEA Intensifies WADA Campaign
The agency says its operations form part of the ongoing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), combining enforcement with public sensitisation campaigns in schools and communities nationwide.
Meanwhile Marwa commended officers involved in the operations and urged sustained vigilance against evolving trafficking tactics.
