The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has issued a stern warning to air travellers, cautioning them against carrying luggage that they did not personally pack or whose contents they do not fully know.

The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, sounded the alarm in a public advisory shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday.

His statement followed a recent incident involving a traveller who was apprehended at an airport while attempting to smuggle drugs.

According to Babafemi, the suspect admitted during interrogation that the bag in question was not his and had been handed to him by someone else.

“Please listen to the suspect in this video,” Babafemi wrote. “He was asked if he packed the bag he was carrying, and he said no—someone gave it to him.”

The NDLEA spokesperson reiterated the agency’s long-standing message that ignorance will not shield travellers from prosecution if they are found in possession of illicit substances.

“As we always warn, never accept to carry a luggage you don’t know its contents,” Babafemi stressed, adding that, “if you’re not complicit and an accessory, #ndlea_nigeria ‘ll get you.”

Travellers were strongly advised to remain vigilant and take personal responsibility for their luggage to avoid falling victim to drug trafficking schemes, whether knowingly or unknowingly. (LEADERSHIP)