RismadarVoice Reporters, June 13, 2026
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has intensified its operations against drug trafficking networks that recruit and exploit women for illicit drug activities across the country.
The agency disclosed that its recent enforcement efforts have led to the disruption of several organised criminal groups involved in using women as drug couriers, while also targeting the higher-level operators behind the schemes.
Speaking on the development, NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the agency’s approach goes beyond arresting low-level traffickers to identifying and prosecuting the masterminds who coordinate and fund such operations.
He explained that investigations involving female couriers have often helped security operatives trace and apprehend leaders of the syndicates responsible for recruiting and exploiting vulnerable individuals.
Babafemi reiterated that the agency is committed to dismantling the full structure of drug trafficking networks rather than focusing solely on those caught transporting illicit substances.
He also noted that alongside enforcement, the NDLEA continues to run preventive campaigns aimed at discouraging involvement in drug-related crimes, particularly among women and other at-risk groups.
However, he acknowledged that cultural and religious sensitivities in some communities can limit direct outreach efforts, making public awareness campaigns more challenging in certain regions.
Despite these obstacles, the NDLEA says it remains determined to strengthen both its enforcement operations and sensitisation programmes to reduce drug trafficking and protect vulnerable populations from exploitation by criminal networks.
The agency reaffirmed that its long-term strategy focuses on combining arrests, prosecutions, and education to curb the spread of illicit drug activities nationwide.
