The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a woman, Ihensekhien Obehi, at the Port Harcourt International Airport for attempting to smuggle cocaine to Iran using a bizarre concealment method involving her private part, stomach, and handbag.

Naijaonpoint reports that in a statement on Sunday, May 11, 2025, NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that Obehi, who was disguised in a hijab, was apprehended on Sunday, May 3, 2025, while trying to board a Qatar Airways flight to Iran via Doha.

Babafemi said Obehi was caught with three wraps of cocaine in her private part, two parcels hidden in a false bottom of her handbag, and 67 pellets she had swallowed.

The statement read, “Desperate attempt by a woman, Ihensekhien Miracle Obehi who disguised with hijab to export large consignments of cocaine concealed in her private part, stomach and false bottom of her handbag to Iran has been thwarted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Port Harcourt, Rivers state.

“Obehi who was dressed in hijab to beat security checks was intercepted at the departure hall of the Port Harcourt airport on Sunday 3rd May 2025 while trying to board a Qatar Airline flight to Iran via Doha following credible intelligence. During her search, she was found to have inserted three wraps of cocaine in her private part, and two large parcels hidden in false compartments of her handbag while she swallowed 67 pellets of the Class A drug.

“As a result, she was placed under excretion observation and after four excretions that lasted days, she expelled the 67 wraps of the substance in her stomach. She claimed she was to swallow 70 pellets of cocaine but after ingesting 67 pieces she could no longer swallow the remaining three and decided to insert them into her private part. The total weight of the three consignments hidden in different parts of her body comes to 2.523 kilograms.”

In a related development, the NDLEA operatives on Friday, May 3, intercepted a 22-year-old British national, Campell Kaizra Kofi Johannes Slifer, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos.

The operatives said Slifer was coming from Thailand through Doha on a Qatar Airways flight with two suitcases loaded with 35 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 37.60kg.

He said Slifer, previously convicted in the UK for drug trafficking and robbery, told investigators he was recruited in London to collect the drugs in Thailand and deliver them to Nigeria.

Babafemi also said that, in Niger State, NDLEA operatives intercepted a fuel tanker and three other vehicles transporting 246 bags of skunk, weighing 3,047kg, along the Suleja-Kaduna Road.

He said, “In Niger state, NDLEA officers acting on intelligence on Wednesday 7th May intercepted a fuel truck marked ABJ 693 XU and three other vehicles loaded with 246 bags of skunk, a strain of cannabis with a combined weight of 3, 047 kilograms along Suleja-Kaduna road. Four suspects arrested with the exhibits include: Christopher Onyema, 47; Benedict Etineruba Young, 54; Chukwudi Ujue Jerry, 30; and Mohammed Abdullahi Danasabe. Apart from the fuel truck, three other vehicles recovered from the suspects include: Honda Odyssey bus marked YAB 667 CZ; Gulf bus with registration number GWA 125 TQ and Honda Odyssey bus marked ABJ 230 CN.”

The statement added, “At Oja Amukoko in Ijora area of Lagos, two suspects: Eze Chekube Emmanuel and Ike Samuel Chinyerem were on Thursday 8th May arrested by NDLEA operatives with a total of 109,914 pills of tramadol, swinol and nitrozepam seized from them. While 52.5kg skunk was recovered from two suspects: Lukman Sabo Umar, 23, and Tukur Ammadu, 20, in a bus at Gwantu, Sanga LGA, Kaduna State on Tuesday 6th May, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bode Saadu- Jebba expressway, Kwara State on Monday 5th May
arrested Rufai Nasiru with 45,400 pills of tramadol 225mg.

“In Bauchi state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Bauchi-Gombe road on Tuesday 6th May intercepted a Toyota Tundra jeep marked RBC 111 DW conveying 526 blocks of skunk weighing 505kg with two suspects: Isaac Onogure, 37 and Ikechukwu Peter, 44, arrested. A total of 31 kegs containing 775 litres of codeine syrup were recovered from two suspects:

“Hafizu Isa Uman, 34, and Ismail Shehu, 48, when NDLEA operatives raided their hideout at Rijiyar Zaki area of Kano on Saturday 10th May, while 1.1kg of Loud consignment concealed in pillow coming from Thailand was on Tuesday 6th May intercepted by NDLEA officers at a courier company in Lagos.

“While commending the officers and men of DOGI, MMIA, PHIA, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Kwara, and Niger Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.”