National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an American professional basketball player, Greene Da’monte Khiree, over the alleged importation of 33.95 kilograms of Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, while also uncovering an illegal gun fabrication factory in Kaduna State.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the American citizen was intercepted on Wednesday, November 11, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, after arriving on an Emirates flight from Thailand through Dubai.
According to the agency, the 28-year-old suspect, who hails from Savannah, Georgia, allegedly abandoned two checked-in bags bearing his name and attempted to leave the airport with only his hand luggage before he was arrested by operatives.
A search of the abandoned bags reportedly led to the recovery of 32 parcels of Loud weighing 33.95 kilograms, while a tracking device was also found inside the luggage.
The suspect reportedly told investigators that he had been living in Thailand since October 2025, where he plays professional basketball, and claimed he came to Nigeria on holiday to build contacts for his basketball career. However, NDLEA said a forensic examination of his mobile phone revealed information linking him to the alleged drug trafficking operation.
In a related operation in Kaduna State, NDLEA operatives raided a facility at Sabon Garin Kangin on November 9 and uncovered a factory allegedly used for the local fabrication of firearms. A 45-year-old suspect, Sagiru Musa, was arrested during the operation.
Items recovered from the factory included 17 locally made Dane guns, two pistols, 25 Dane gun barrels and other equipment allegedly used for manufacturing firearms.
The agency also carried out coordinated operations across Lagos, Kaduna, Ondo, Delta, Edo and Osun states, leading to the seizure of large quantities of cannabis, Loud, tramadol, codeine syrup and other illicit substances, while several suspects were arrested.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations, saying the discovery of the gun factory further highlights the connection between illicit drugs and violent crime. He urged operatives nationwide to sustain the momentum in combating drug trafficking and abuse.
