67-Year-Old Woman Arrested at Lagos Airport with 13kg Cocaine Hidden in Fake Plantain Peels
NDLEA also busts alleged drug syndicates as nationwide operations lead to multiple arrests and major seizures
- Cocaine was hidden in 31 fake plantain hands packed with food items
- PhD student allegedly leading a drug trafficking syndicate arrested in Anambra.
- Multiple drug seizures and arrests recorded across Taraba, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Plateau and Gombe states
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman, Mary Barek, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside fake plantain peels through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
According to the agency, Barek, who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, was intercepted at the departure hall of Terminal 2 on June 28 while preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London.
In a statement issued by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, operatives discovered 31 large parcels of cocaine expertly packaged to resemble hands of plantain and hidden among food items in the suspect’s luggage.
The agency said the seized cocaine weighed a total of 13 kilograms, adding that the suspect admitted ownership of the illicit drugs 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 cocaine concealed inside cartons of Orijin Bitters destined for Kuala Lumpur.
Investigators traced Onyeka to his hometown in Ozubulu, Anambra State, where he was arrested on June 29 after being identified as the alleged leader of a drug trafficking syndicate.
The arrest followed the earlier interception of 36 parcels of cocaine weighing 5.8 kilograms hidden inside the walls of nine cartons of the herbal alcoholic beverage that had been prepared for export to Malaysia.
The investigation also led to the arrest of four other suspects in Lagos, including a cargo agent, a transporter, a trader at ASPANDA Market, and a supplier of the cartons allegedly used to conceal the narcotics.
The NDLEA also recorded several other major arrests across Nigeria.
In Taraba State, officers arrested Daniel Harrison Ugwuoke, 30, along the Zaki-Biam Road in Wukari Local Government Area on July 4 after recovering 43,980 capsules of Tramadol concealed inside specially modified fuel tanks of two vehicles.
In Kaduna State, operatives arrested Boniface Agu, 65, and Monday Nwaeze, 50, during a raid in Gwantu Local Government Area, where they allegedly seized 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Meanwhile, in Ebonyi State, Francis Ifara Eja, 65, was arrested with 231.7 kilograms of skunk at Ikwo, while in Plateau State, Alhaji Babani, 75, was apprehended with 15 kilograms of the illicit substance at Kurgwi in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area.
In Gombe State, two suspects—Dahiru Mohammed, 65, and Isiya Lawan, 36—were arrested after officers recovered 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 556 kilograms at Kuri village in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area.
Beyond enforcement operations, the NDLEA said it continues to intensify its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through educational and sensitisation programmes in schools, workplaces, religious institutions and communities across the country.
The awareness campaign was recently conducted in schools across Anambra, Enugu, Ogun and Kano states, among other locations.
Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), praised the various state commands for their successful drug seizures and arrests while urging them to sustain the momentum in both enforcement and public education.
