Chinese woman arrested with 31kg cannabis

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said it arrested a 63-year-old Chinese national at Lagos’ main international airport after officers allegedly found 31 kilograms of cannabis in her luggage. The agency identified the suspect as Ting Hung Kiong and said she was stopped at the Terminal 2 arrival hall of Murtala Muhammed International Airport. NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said the arrest took place on May 17, though the agency disclosed it publicly on May 24. The case drew attention after local accounts on X reported the seizure earlier on Sunday. ### Who is the woman Nigerian authorities say they arrested? NDLEA said the suspect is Ting Hung Kiong, a 63-year-old Chinese woman. Premium Times and other Nigerian outlets, citing the agency, reported that investigators said she had been naturalized in Malaysia and was living there before the trip. (thecable.ng) May 17 was the date of the arrest, according to the agency’s account. NDLEA said she arrived in Lagos from Thailand through Dubai on an Emirates flight before officers intercepted her at the airport’s arrival hall. ### Where did NDLEA say the drugs were found? NDLEA said officers found the drugs in two large suitcases during baggage checks at the airport. (premiumtimesng.com) The agency described the substance as “Canadian Loud,” which multiple reports citing NDLEA identified as a synthetic strain of cannabis. The quantity was 31 kilograms, according to the agency’s statement. Reports citing NDLEA said the packages were concealed among the traveler’s personal effects inside the boxes she brought into Nigeria. (premiumtimesng.com) ### What route did investigators say she took into Nigeria? NDLEA said its investigation showed the woman traveled from Malaysia to Thailand and then continued to Nigeria through the United Arab Emirates. (thecable.ng) Babafemi said the suspect arrived in Lagos after transiting Dubai. The suspect told investigators that she worked as a caregiver in Malaysia, according to accounts of the NDLEA statement. (thecable.ng) She also said her daughter sponsored the trip from Malaysia to Thailand and Nigeria, and that she was handed the consignment in Thailand for delivery in Nigeria, the reports said. ### What exactly is “Canadian Loud”? NDLEA described the seized drug as “Canadian Loud,” a term widely used in Nigeria for a potent imported cannabis product. (thetrumpet.ng) In this case, Nigerian reports quoting the agency referred to it as a synthetic strain of cannabis. The agency did not, in the reports reviewed, release laboratory test details or further technical information about the seized substance. (thetrumpet.ng) Its public description so far has been limited to the name, weight and the allegation that it was being smuggled into Nigeria through the Lagos airport. ### What have authorities said happens next? NDLEA said the case remains under investigation. (thecable.ng) Babafemi’s May 24 statement was part of a wider agency update that also detailed other seizures, including an opioids consignment valued at about 2.19 billion naira in a separate Lagos operation. May 24 is the date of the public disclosure, while the arrest itself was reported as having happened a week earlier on May 17. (thecable.ng) NDLEA has not yet announced court charges or a hearing date in the materials reviewed, and the next formal step is likely to come from the agency or Nigerian prosecutors. (premiumtimesng.com)