Get Guardian on GoogleThe National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has raised concerns over the increasing involvement of South African nationals in international drug trafficking, disclosing that three citizens of the country were arrested in recent operations involving large quantities of illicit substances.
The agency said the suspects were arrested in separate operations, with operatives recovering heroin, cocaine and synthetic cannabis, popularly known as Loud.
Assistant Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Francis Okogun, disclosed this on Thursday during a joint security briefing in Abuja.
Okogun said the arrests had attracted attention because of the negative impression they could create about Nigeria internationally, particularly amid concerns over the activities of foreign nationals involved in moving illicit drugs through the country.
He said investigations showed that some foreign nationals were increasingly facilitating the movement of illicit substances through Nigeria to other countries, while others were involved in bringing drugs into the country.
“On the arrest of South African nationals in connection with drug trafficking, it is important to clarify that the issue has attracted attention because of the negative impression it could create about Nigeria internationally.
“Our findings indicate that some foreign nationals are increasingly becoming involved in facilitating the movement of illicit drugs through Nigeria to other parts of the world. Some are also involved in bringing such substances into the country. For the period under review, three individuals were arrested,” he said.
The NDLEA spokesman said the quantities and variety of drugs recovered from the suspects suggested possible links to international drug trafficking networks.
“What makes these arrests particularly significant is the large quantities of drugs recovered, including heroin, cocaine and synthetic cannabis popularly known as Loud. These individuals are suspected of working on behalf of international drug cartels,” he added.
Okogun said the agency had commenced further investigations to establish the destinations of the seized substances and identify the cartels sponsoring the operations.
He explained that investigations into international drug trafficking were often complicated by the reluctance of suspects to disclose information about their sponsors and the final destinations of consignments.
“As you know, drug traffickers rarely volunteer information about their sponsors or the final destinations of their consignments.
“We are therefore conducting painstaking investigations to establish the actual destinations of the drugs and identify the cartels responsible for the shipments,” he said.
The latest disclosure comes amid a series of arrests involving South African nationals in separate drug trafficking cases at Nigerian airports.
In October 2026, NDLEA operatives arrested a South African woman, Gebashe Sithandiwe Jessie, at the Port Harcourt International Airport over the alleged importation of 32.74 kilogrammes of synthetic cannabis, popularly known as Thai Loud.
Earlier, on July 6, 2026, the agency arrested another South African national, 38-year-old Will Jessica Ann, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after allegedly discovering 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin concealed in 14 blocks inside her luggage.
She was arrested during the inward clearance of passengers aboard a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Abuja.
