Vietnamese authorities have arrested a Nigerian man on suspicion of drug trafficking after customs officers intercepted a consignment at the Lao Bao International Border Gate in the central province of Quang Tri.
The Customs Sub-Department of Region IX said its control team discovered the drugs on the evening of Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at around 8:30 pm, while scanning road vehicles crossing into Vietnam from Laos. Scanning equipment flagged a suspicious consigned package, and a physical search revealed drugs concealed inside electric water heaters and electronic components.
Drugs Found Hidden in Electric Water Heaters
Investigators found approximately 2kg of suspected crystal methamphetamine and two suspected heroin bricks inside the shipment, Vietnam Plus reported. The discovery prompted authorities to treat the case as transnational drug trafficking.
The Customs Sub-Department of Region IX launched a coordinated investigation involving the Lao Bao International Border Gate customs branch, the drug-related crimes investigation police division under the Quang Tri Police, the anti-smuggling investigation sub-department, and the provincial Border Guard.
Suspect Arrested in Ho Chi Minh City
Over the following days, officers traced the package as it moved across multiple locations. On August 9, law enforcement arrested Izuchukwu Calistus Odionye, a Nigerian national born in 1983, in Ho Chi Minh City as he was collecting the package.
During questioning, Odionye admitted that the package held drugs. He told investigators he had been paid to pick up the consignment in Ho Chi Minh City and transport it onward to Hanoi. Authorities said the investigation has since been expanded to identify and apprehend others involved in the operation.
Previous NDLEA Arrests of Elderly Drug Suspects
Previously, Legit.ng reported that operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested 84-year-old Godfrey Orji and 75-year-old Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora for dealing in illicit substances. The two grandfathers were arrested for selling illicit drugs to teenage secondary school students in Umuahia, Abia state capital.
