The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother, Mrs. Mary Barek, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 13 kilograms of cocaine disguised as plantain peels through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Barek, a caregiver in the United Kingdom, was intercepted on June 28 at Terminal 2 while preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London.
A search of her luggage uncovered 31 wraps of cocaine packaged to resemble plantain hands.
“A thorough search of her bags resulted in the discovery of 31 big wraps of cocaine which were packaged to appear like plantain hands, weighing a total of 13 kilograms. In her statement, the elderly woman admitted full ownership of the recovered cocaine exhibits,” Babafemi said.
In a related operation, NDLEA arrested 45-year-old PhD student Nwabueze Felix Onyeka in Anambra State for allegedly leading a syndicate that attempted to export 5.8 kilograms of cocaine concealed in cartons of Orijin Bitters bound for Malaysia.
Four accomplices were earlier detained in Lagos, leading investigators to Onyeka’s hideout in Ozubulu.
The agency also reported multiple arrests across Taraba, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Plateau, and Gombe States, with seizures including Tramadol capsules hidden in vehicle fuel tanks, methamphetamine, skunk, and cannabis weighing hundreds of kilograms.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) commended officers for combining enforcement with public sensitisation under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, which continues to run in schools, workplaces, and communities nationwide.
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