South African Woman Arrested At Abuja Airport With 5.75kg Of Heroin Hidden In Luggage.

A 38-year-old South African woman, identified as Ms Will Jessica Ann, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after allegedly attempting to smuggle 5.75 kilograms of heroin into Nigeria through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

The agency's Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the arrest in a statement issued on Sunday, 12 July 2026.

According to the NDLEA, the suspect allegedly concealed 14 large blocks of heroin inside her luggage and travelled with her three-year-old son in what investigators believe was an attempt to avoid suspicion and evade thorough security screening.

Babafemi said the suspect was intercepted on Monday, 6 July 2026, during the inward clearance of passengers arriving on Qatar Airways flight QR1433 from Doha.

The statement revealed that the suspect initially denied travelling with any checked luggage. However, NDLEA officers discovered that the baggage tags on two suitcases matched the claim tags attached to her passport. When confronted with the evidence, she reportedly admitted that the bags belonged to her, claiming she had forgotten that she had checked them in.

She further told investigators that she had travelled from Cambodia via Doha to Abuja.

According to the NDLEA, intelligence gathered during the investigation indicates that the suspect is allegedly part of a transnational drug trafficking network operating between Cambodia and South Africa.

The agency also alleged that she works alongside her husband or partner, identified as Jan Coenraad De Jager, who is said to be based in Cambodia, where the drug trafficking operation is believed to be coordinated.

The investigation remains ongoing as the NDLEA continues efforts to dismantle the suspected international drug trafficking network.