The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother, Mary Barek, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside fake plantain peels through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Barek, a caregiver based in the United Kingdom, was apprehended at the departure hall of Terminal 2 on June 28 while preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London.
A thorough search of her luggage led to the discovery of 31 large wraps of cocaine, carefully packaged to resemble plantain hands and concealed alongside food items. The agency said the suspect admitted ownership of the illicit consignment during interrogation.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives arrested Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, a 45-year-old PhD student at the University of Putra, Malaysia, over an alleged attempt to export 5.8 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside cartons of Orijin Bittersdestined for Kuala Lumpur.
Investigations led to Onyeka’s arrest in Ozubulu, Anambra State, after four other suspects—including a cargo agent, a driver, a trader, and a supplier of the concealment cartons—were initially arrested in Lagos.
The anti-narcotics agency also recorded several major drug seizures across the country. In Taraba State, operatives recovered 43,980 capsules of Tramadol concealed in modified fuel tanks of a vehicle. In Kaduna, two suspects were arrested with 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, while in Ebonyi and Plateau states, elderly suspects aged 65 and 75were arrested with large quantities of skunk.
In Gombe State, officers intercepted 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 556 kilograms, leading to the arrest of two suspects.r
Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA said it sustained its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through sensitisation programmes in schools, workplaces, worship centres, and communities nationwide.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations, urging commands across the country to maintain the momentum in both drug enforcement and public awareness campaigns.
