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NDLEA Arrests US Basketball Player With 33.95kg Cannabis at Lagos Airport
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested an American professional basketball player after allegedly discovering 33.95 kilogrammes of cannabis in his luggage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Greene Da’monte Khiree from Georgia, United States, was arrested on Wednesday at the airport’s international car park.
The NDLEA disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the basketball player attracted the attention of its operatives after allegedly abandoning two checked-in bags before attempting to leave the airport with only his carry-on luggage.
According to the agency, the two abandoned bags, which bore his name tags, contained 16 packs of a potent strain of cannabis weighing 33.95kg.
The suspect reportedly arrived in Lagos from Thailand, where he claimed to have been living and playing professional basketball since October 2025.
He allegedly told investigators that he was visiting Nigeria to build networks for his basketball career.
However, the NDLEA said an examination of his mobile phone revealed information suggesting his knowledge of and involvement in the alleged drug trafficking operation.
The International Basketball Federation lists a player named DaMonte Greene as a point guard, whose recent appearances include the Phuket Elite Cup in September.
Nigeria has long been identified as a transit point and production hub for illicit drugs destined for international markets, although authorities and researchers have also raised concerns about the growing availability of such substances within the country.
Recent discoveries of industrial-scale methamphetamine laboratories have further heightened concerns over possible links between Mexican drug cartels and local criminal networks involved in the production and shipment of illicit drugs.
