Drug enforcement units at the airport successfully intercepted a massive shipment of suspected cocaine over the weekend, resulting in the arrest of a ground operations employee.
The seizure occurred during a 24-hour shift between January 16th and January 17th, 2026. According to official reports from the Drug Law Enforcement Agency (DLEAG) and the Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF), the operation was part of an intensified security sweep of international flights.
The arrest occurred at the foot of an aircraft during routine tarmac surveillance. Officers intercepted Alieu Jeng, identified as a Niro personnel working as an equipment Operator.
Upon inspection of Alieu Jeng’s position, officers discovered three black bags containing 37 blocks of suspected cocaine.
Alieu Jeng was immediately taken into custody and transported to the DLEAG/JAITF station for interrogation. He remains in detention while investigators work to determine the origin of the narcotics and whether other accomplices were involved in the smuggling attempt.
The arrest occurred during a busy period for the airport, with security teams monitoring 10 international flights from major hubs including London, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Barcelona.
The arrest came through when DLEAG officers were deployed across all high-risk zones to ensure no security gaps. The areas included were checked and cabin baggage screening, the arrival hall, the Air Side (tarmac), and mobile routine patrols.
The success of the operation was attributed to the cooperation between the DLEAG, the JAITF, and other airport stakeholders.
The investigation is currently ongoing. Authorities have not yet commented on the street value of the seized drugs.
However, we visited the Niro office at the airport to hear from them, but the office was closed, as there are allegations that since Niro commenced, there has been a lot of drug smuggling in and out of the country, but we cannot confirm the allegations. Also, an attempt was made to speak to Brussels but to no avail.
The investigation into the matter will continue on the issue to reach the bottom of the drug smuggling and the prosecution of the case
