NDLEA arrests UK-based grandma with 13kg cocaine disguised as plantain

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman, Mary Barek, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed in fake plantain peels through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The agency said Barek, a caregiver based in the United Kingdom, was intercepted at the departure terminal while preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London. A detailed search of her luggage allegedly uncovered 31 parcels of cocaine disguised as plantain and packed among food items.

In a statement issued on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said the suspect admitted ownership of the illicit substance during questioning.

The agency also announced the arrest of Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, a 45-year-old doctoral student at the University of Putra, Malaysia, over an alleged attempt to export cocaine hidden inside cartons of Orijin Bitters bound for Kuala Lumpur.

According to the NDLEA, operatives had earlier intercepted 5.8 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside nine cartons of the herbal drink before investigations led to the arrest of four suspects in Lagos. Further intelligence reportedly traced Onyeka to his hometown in Ozubulu, Anambra State, where he was arrested as the alleged leader of the trafficking network.

Elsewhere, NDLEA operatives in Taraba State recovered 43,980 capsules of tramadol hidden inside specially modified vehicle fuel tanks after arresting a suspect along the Zaki-Biam–Wukari Road.

In Kaduna State, officers arrested two men during a raid in Gwantu, recovering 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine.

The agency also recorded major cannabis seizures in other states. In Ebonyi, a 65-year-old suspect was arrested with 231.7 kilograms of skunk, while another 75-year-old suspect was apprehended in Plateau State with 15 kilograms of the same substance.

In Gombe State, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects with 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 556 kilograms during an operation in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area.

Beyond enforcement, the anti-narcotics agency said it continued its War Against Drug Abuse campaign through awareness programmes in schools, communities, workplaces and religious centres across several states.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the operations, urging them to sustain efforts to curb drug trafficking while expanding public sensitisation on the dangers of drug abuse.