NDLEA arrests Canadian Woman for importing ‘Canadian Loud’

Canadian Woman Arrested at Lagos Airport for Importing Synthetic Cannabis

Lagos State, Nigeria – A 41-year-old woman from Canada, identified as Adrienne Munju, has been apprehended by officials from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. This arrest occurred as she attempted to bring in a significant shipment of a potent synthetic cannabis strain known as ‘Canadian Loud’.

Ms. Munju was taken into custody on October 3, 2024, during the inbound clearance process for passengers arriving on a KLM flight from Canada. According to a statement from NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, when authorities examined her three bags, they discovered a total of 74 parcels containing the illegal substance, amounting to 35.20 kilograms, hidden within two of her bags.

In her confession to the authorities, Munju revealed that she had been recruited via an online platform to transport the package for a payment of 10,000 Canadian dollars upon its successful delivery in Lagos. She cited financial needs related to her master’s degree studies in Canada as motivation for accepting the offer.

Additionally, Babafemi disclosed that during a recent joint operation at the Port Harcourt Ports Onne in Rivers State, law enforcement recovered a staggering 13,298,000 opioid pills, which included various brands such as Tramadol and Codeine-based cough syrups, with a total worth exceeding N9,017,771,000. This seizure followed a meticulous examination of three containers arriving from India, carried out in collaboration with the Nigerian Customs and other port authorities on October 2 and 3, 2024.

Moreover, NDLEA officials intercepted a separate shipment at the Tincan seaport in Lagos on the same day, seizing 100 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 50 kilograms. These parcels were cleverly concealed within five jumbo bags, each containing 20 parcels, inside a container that also held four imported vehicles from Canada.

Despite the container initially being cleared from the ESS Libra Bonded Terminal in Ikorodu based on reliable intelligence, NDLEA operatives successfully tracked it to a warehouse in Ikorodu where the illicit items were found within one of the imported vehicles, specifically a Toyota Sienna. A suspect identified as Abubakar Shuaibu Ibrahim has been arrested in connection with this operation.

In another incident in Taraba, the NDLEA intercepted a commercial bus marked JAL 198 YQ, traveling from Onitsha in Anambra State to Jalingo. Officers discovered 80 blocks of cannabis weighing 38 kilograms hidden among bags of garri. A further search of the vehicle revealed large quantities of opioids, including Tramadol and Rohypnol, concealed in body compartments. Two suspects, Pako Thomas and Emmanuel Anyigor, were arrested during this operation. Moreover, a separate arrest was made on October 2, when Chibuzor Okafor was captured in Wukari with 80 blocks of cannabis also weighing 38 kilograms.

The NDLEA continues to intensify its efforts to combat drug trafficking and ensure the safety of the public from the dangers of illicit substances.