The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered what it describes as an emerging pattern of foreign involvement in international drug trafficking operations linked to Nigeria, with South African nationals increasingly featuring in its investigations.
The agency disclosed that three South Africans were arrested in separate operations in which substantial quantities of heroin, cocaine and synthetic cannabis, commonly called Loud, were recovered.
The development was revealed on Thursday by the NDLEA Assistant Director of Media and Advocacy, Francis Okogun, during a joint security briefing involving spokespersons of defence, security and law enforcement agencies at the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja.
Okogun, who represented the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, explained that investigations had exposed the growing involvement of foreign nationals in drug shipments passing through Nigeria to international destinations. Some of the suspects were also suspected of facilitating the entry of prohibited substances into the country.
He noted that the scale of the seizures made the three arrests particularly significant, adding that the agency was concerned about the possible damage to Nigeria’s international reputation.
According to him, preliminary investigations point to the suspects operating as couriers or facilitators for larger international drug trafficking organisations.
However, the NDLEA is yet to establish the identities of the individuals and organisations financing the operations, as well as the intended destinations of the seized substances.
Okogun said uncovering the people behind the shipments remained a major challenge because drug couriers were often reluctant to disclose information about their sponsors and international connections.
The latest disclosure follows a series of arrests involving South African nationals at Nigerian international airports.
In October 2026, NDLEA operatives apprehended a South African woman, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, at the Port Harcourt International Airport after discovering 32.74 kilogrammes of synthetic cannabis, known as Thai Loud, hidden inside her luggage.
Another arrest was recorded on July 6, 2026, when operatives intercepted 38-year-old South African national, Will Jessica Ann, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
She had arrived aboard a Qatar Airways flight from Doha when officers conducting inward passenger clearance discovered 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin packed into 14 large blocks in her luggage.
The agency said the suspect initially denied having checked-in baggage. However, she later acknowledged ownership of two bags after investigators matched their identification tags with the claim tags attached to her passport.
With three South African nationals now linked to separate drug seizures, the NDLEA says its investigations are continuing, particularly to uncover the international cartels behind the operations, trace the intended destinations of the drugs and establish the full extent of the trafficking networks.
The agency believes the cases could expose a wider international supply chain in which foreign nationals are deployed to transport illicit substances across borders.
(Source: SaharaReporters)
