A 38-year-old South African woman, Ms. Will Jessica Ann, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.Â
Jessica was allegedly caught attempting to smuggle 5.75 kilograms of heroin concealed in her luggage on Monday, July 6, 2026, during the inward clearance of passengers aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1433 from Doha to Abuja.
According to NDLEA, she allegedly hid 14 large blocks of heroin inside two checked bags while holding her three-year-old son, whom investigators believe she used as a cover in an attempt to avoid suspicion and evade thorough security screening.
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NDLEA reported that the suspect initially denied travelling with any checked luggage. However, officers reportedly discovered that the baggage tags attached to the two suitcases matched the claim tags on her passport. Confronted with the evidence, she reportedly admitted ownership of the bags, claiming she had forgotten that she had checked them in.
During questioning, Jessica explained that she had travelled from Cambodia through Doha before arriving in Abuja.
According to intelligence gathered by the NDLEA, she is allegedly a member of a transnational drug trafficking network operating between Cambodia and South Africa alongside her husband or partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager.
Notably, the agency further stated that the investigations are ongoing to dismantle the wider drug trafficking syndicate linked to the suspects.
By Musekir Faisat OmolaraÂ
