The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered a syndicate that allegedly plants illicit drugs in the luggage of unsuspecting passengers travelling through motor parks, following a joint operation by its operatives in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Anambra State.
The agency said the operation began after officers intercepted a Sienna bus travelling from Nnewi, Anambra State, to Abuja.
According to the NDLEA, the vehicle was stopped at Abaji in the FCT on Saturday, June 20, 2026, where operatives recovered a waybill package containing a whitish substance suspected to be methamphetamine.
"The substance was concealed in a black nylon bag, which had been placed inside another sack containing clothes, while the receiver's phone number was written on the sack," the agency said.
A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the intended recipient, identified as Mrs. Gloria Peter, at Utako Motor Park in Abuja.
However, Peter denied ownership of the package and told investigators she had no knowledge of its contents.
"Her denial prompted further investigations, leading to the arrest of the loaders of the Sienna bus in Nnewi," the statement said.
During interrogation, one of the loaders allegedly confessed that he had secretly placed the drug package inside the woman's luggage on the instruction of the bus driver, Abdurrazak Isah.
According to the agency, the driver later admitted that the package belonged to one of his passengers, identified as Onyebuchi Victor Okoye.
Acting on the information, NDLEA operatives arrested Okoye during another follow-up operation at Utako Motor Park in Abuja.
"The recovered consignment of suspected methamphetamine weighed 467.7 grams," the agency added.
The NDLEA said the case highlights the tactics used by some drug trafficking syndicates, who allegedly conceal illicit substances in the luggage of unsuspecting travellers in an attempt to evade detection.
