By Gbenga Sodeinde
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 35-year-old woman, Rabi Muhammad, at the Seme border for allegedly attempting to smuggle 3,200 capsules of tramadol concealed in a fake pregnancy.
The suspect was reportedly intercepted while trying to traffic the banned substances into Cotonou, Benin Republic, where the drugs were allegedly intended for sale.
Confirming the arrest, the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, described the method employed by the suspect as both bizarre and desperate.
“Her attempt to smuggle drugs using a fake baby bump is a clear example of traffickers’ absurd methods, and she has been taken into custody for investigation,” Babafemi stated.
The NDLEA spokesman added that the arrest forms part of a broader nationwide clampdown on illicit drug trafficking.
He disclosed that other coordinated operations carried out the same day led to additional arrests at Kano Airport and in Lagos, reinforcing the agency’s sustained enforcement drive across the country.
The agency reiterated its commitment to intensifying surveillance at border points and airports to curb the movement of prohibited substances and dismantle trafficking networks operating within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.