Malaysian Grandmother, 63, Arrested at Lagos Airport With 31kg Of Synthetic Cannabis

A 63-year-old Malaysian grandmother has been arrested at Lagos airport after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) allegedly discovered 31 kilograms of synthetic cannabis concealed inside her luggage, in what authorities have described as one of the largest airport drug seizures recorded in Nigeria this year.

The suspect, identified as Ting Hung Kiong, a Malaysian citizen of Chinese descent, was reportedly travelling from Thailand through Dubai when officers grew suspicious of her baggage and subjected it to a thorough search.

According to the NDLEA, both of her suitcases had been packed to almost exactly the airline’s permitted weight limit a detail that drew the attention of screening officers.

Upon inspection, the bags were found to contain 31 kilograms of a synthetic cannabis product commonly known as “Canadian Loud.”

During interrogation, Ting Hung Kiong maintained that she was a caregiver by profession and claimed the suitcases had been handed to her by strangers shortly before her departure from Thailand. She insisted she had no knowledge of the substances concealed inside.

Investigators are currently working to establish whether her account is credible or whether the case forms part of a broader international drug trafficking operation.

The route, Thailand to Dubai to Lagos is one that anti-narcotics agencies across the region have identified as increasingly active in recent years.

The NDLEA did not confirm at the time of publication whether charges had been formally filed or whether the suspect had obtained legal representation.

The case has attracted significant attention online due to the unusual profile of the accused, an elderly grandmother whose circumstances have prompted debate about the vulnerability of older travellers to exploitation by drug trafficking networks.