South Africans now leading drug trafficking cartels in Nigeria, NDLEA claims

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has raised concerns over the increasing involvement of South African nationals in drug trafficking through Nigeria, revealing that three suspects were arrested with large quantities of heroin, cocaine and synthetic cannabis, including women apprehended at Abuja and Port Harcourt airports, while Assistant Director of Media and Advocacy Francis Okogun said investigations were underway to identify the international drug cartels allegedly sponsoring the shipments and establish their intended destinations.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has raised concerns over the growing involvement of South African nationals in international drug trafficking operations through Nigeria.

According to Daily Trust, NDLEA Assistant Director of Media and Advocacy, Francis Okogun, disclosed this during a joint security briefing organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Okogun said three South Africans had been arrested with substantial quantities of heroin, cocaine and synthetic cannabis.

“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. What makes these arrests particularly significant is the large quantities of drugs recovered, including heroin, cocaine and synthetic cannabis, popularly known as Loud.

The agency said investigations were ongoing to identify suspected international drug cartels behind the shipments and determine their intended destinations.