NDLEA Arrests South African Woman For Allegedly Smuggling 5.75kg Heroin

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 38-year-old South African woman, Will Jessica Ann, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 5.75 kilograms of heroin into Nigeria, while travelling with her three-year-old son.

According to the agency, the suspect allegedly used the child as a cover to avoid security scrutiny after arriving aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1433 from Doha on July 6.

The NDLEA said the woman initially denied travelling with any checked baggage during passenger clearance.

However, officers reportedly traced two suitcases containing the illicit drug to baggage claim tags attached to her passport.

The agency said she subsequently admitted ownership of the luggage, claiming she had forgotten that she checked in the two bags.

NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja.

The agency further alleged that intelligence gathered during the investigation linked her to a transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating between Cambodia and South Africa, alongside her husband or partner, identified as Jan Coenraad De Jager.

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“The suspect was arrested by NDLEA officers on Monday, July 6, 2026, during the inward clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways flight QR1433 from Doha to Abuja.

“Though she initially denied travelling with checked-in bags, operatives quickly established that the two bags containing the drugs had tags matching the baggage claim tags attached to her passport.

“She thereafter admitted ownership of the bags, claiming she had forgotten she checked them in.

“She also claimed to have travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja.

“Intelligence leading to her arrest indicates she is a member of a transnational drug trafficking organisation operating along with her husband/partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager, who is based in Cambodia, from where they coordinate their drug trafficking network along the Cambodia–South Africa axis,” Babafemi said in the statement issued on Sunday.