The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 34-year-old South African woman, Qhina Beauty, with 36.65 kilogrammes of cocaine at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State.
Beauty was apprehended on October 7, 2026, at the airport’s departure hall while preparing to board a Qatar Airways flight to South Africa through Doha.
A search of her two travel bags uncovered 30 blocks of cocaine weighing 36.65kg, concealed with dried pepper, wrapped in cello tape and distributed across seven parcels.
The NDLEA disclosed the arrests in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, Beauty told investigators that she arrived in Nigeria on September 30 specifically to collect the drug consignment. She reportedly said another South African woman recruited her for the operation and promised to pay her R20,000 upon successful delivery.
She also identified two other alleged members of the drug trafficking network, one based in the United States and the other a Lagos-based car dealer.
Further investigations led to the arrest of the car dealer, 46-year-old Uchenna Victor Umunnakwe, on October 14. He was intercepted at Apple Junction, Ago Palace Way, Lagos, after NDLEA operatives conducted surveillance around his residence in Shasha.
The agency said Umunnakwe admitted receiving Beauty at the airport and arranging accommodation for her at Santiago Hotel in Amuwo-Odofin before moving her to Cynarisso Hotel near the airport ahead of her planned departure.
In a separate operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA operatives arrested a 62-year-old Nigerian-American woman, Anetor Gloria Ubong, who allegedly arrived from Houston, Texas, with 9.45kg of cannabis.
Ubong, a realtor based in Richmond, Texas, holds Nigerian and United States passports. She was arrested on Wednesday, October 21, following her arrival on a United Airlines flight.
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A search of her two checked-in boxes led to the discovery of 18 parcels of loud, a synthetic cannabis weighing 9.45kg, concealed in a box with gift-wrapping paper.
The statement added, “In another interdiction operation at the Lagos airport, NDLEA officers on Wednesday, 21st October, arrested a 62-year-old grandma, Anetor Gloria Ubong, a realtor based in Richmond, Texas, who holds both Nigerian and US passports. She was arrested following her arrival on a United Airlines flight from Houston.
“A search of her two checked-in boxes uncovered 18 parcels of loud, a synthetic cannabis weighing 9.45kg, concealed with gift wrapping paper in a box. She claimed the box was delivered to her home in the US by her daughter and the daughter’s future brother-in-law, for onward delivery in Nigeria to her daughter’s fiancé, Jibola.”
Meanwhile, the agency reported additional arrests and drug seizures across the country.
In Lagos, operatives arrested 41-year-old Eletu Rasheedat in the Eti Osa area on October 23. The operation yielded 5,820 diazepam pills, 780 tramadol tablets, 3.7kg of skunk and 230.25 litres of skuchies.
In Delta State, NDLEA operatives arrested 51-year-old Peter Ugochukwu in Warri over his alleged involvement in the possession of large quantities of pharmaceutical opioids.
The drugs recovered included 29,350 tramadol capsules, 6,620 tablets of 200mg tramadol, 4,116 bottles of codeine syrup, 11,340 Rohypnol tablets, 3,500 diazepam tablets, 300 ampoules of pentazocine injection and 200 ampoules of diazepam injection. Quantities of tramadol 225mg, Molly and Cocodamol were also seized.
The agency said Ugochukwu was transferred alongside a white Hummer bus from the Nigeria Police Force in Delta State.
In another operation at Enhere Junction, Warri, operatives arrested 46-year-old Helen Bakporo Samson, a physically challenged woman, on October 19 with 6.0kg of skunk.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, a 41-year-old suspect, Fajana Dada Oluwaseyi, was arrested on October 19 in the Adamasingba area. His arrest followed an earlier escape after NDLEA officers seized 197.8kg of cannabis sativa from his no residence on September 16.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd.), commended the operatives and urged them to maintain the momentum in the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse.