Heroin Trafficking: South African Woman Sentenced To 40 Years After Airport Arrest

A 38-year-old South African woman, Ms. Will Jessica Ann, has been convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison for importing 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin into Nigeria.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the convict was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja after officers discovered 14 large blocks of heroin concealed inside her luggage.

The NDLEA said the woman allegedly attempted to use her three-year-old son as a cover to evade thorough security screening during her arrival in Nigeria.

Her arrest occurred during the inward clearance of passengers aboard Qatar Airways flight QR 1433 from Doha to Abuja on July 6, 2026. The agency said she initially denied travelling with checked-in luggage, but operatives established that two bags containing the illicit substance had tags corresponding with the claim tags attached to her passport.

Following the discovery, she reportedly admitted ownership of the bags, claiming that she had forgotten that she checked them in. She told investigators that she had travelled from Cambodia through Doha before arriving in Abuja.

Further intelligence gathered by the NDLEA reportedly linked the woman to a transnational drug trafficking organisation allegedly operating along the Cambodian-South African route. The agency also identified her husband or partner, Jan Coenraad De Jager, as an alleged member of the network.

De Jager was reportedly arrested in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2026, while allegedly attempting to traffic 3.2 kilogrammes of an illicit drug to Hong Kong.

Will Jessica Ann was subsequently arraigned before Justice Obiora Atuegwu Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on a two-count charge contained in suit FHC/ABJ/CR/422/2026. The charges bordered on the importation of 5.75 kilogrammes of heroin and conspiracy to import the same quantity into Nigeria.

She pleaded guilty to the charges.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, September 17, 2026, Justice Egwuatu convicted the South African woman and sentenced her to 15 years in prison on the first count and 25 years on the second count, bringing the total sentence to 40 years.

The court, however, ordered that the sentences run concurrently.