NDLEA Arrests Grandma, PhD Student in Major Cocaine Busts, Intensifies Crackdown on Drug Syndicates
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intensified its nationwide crackdown on international drug trafficking networks with the arrest of a 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother attempting to smuggle 13 kilogrammes of cocaine to the United Kingdom and a PhD student accused of leading a Malaysia-bound cocaine syndicate.
The arrests, announced on Sunday, highlight what the agency described as increasingly sophisticated trafficking methods and the growing involvement of elderly persons and highly educated individuals in transnational drug operations.
According to NDLEA, the 67-year-old suspect, Mrs. Mary Barek, was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, while preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London.
A search of her luggage reportedly uncovered 31 large wraps of cocaine weighing 13 kilogrammes, concealed as fresh plantain peels and packed among food items.
The agency said the suspect, a Nigerian-British citizen employed as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, admitted ownership of the drugs during interrogation.
In a separate operation, NDLEA dismantled a cocaine trafficking syndicate attempting to smuggle drugs to Malaysia through cartons of Orijin Bitters.
The agency said 45-year-old Nwabueze Onyeka, a PhD student at the University of Putra, Malaysia, was identified as the alleged mastermind of the network.
His arrest followed the interception of 36 parcels of cocaine weighing 5.8 kilogrammes, concealed inside the walls of nine cartons of the herbal alcoholic beverage destined for Kuala Lumpur.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said investigations initially led to the arrest of four suspects in Lagos, including a cargo agent, the driver who transported the consignment, a trader at ASPANDA Market in the Lagos Trade Fair Complex and another suspect who allegedly supplied the specially prepared cartons used to conceal the narcotics.
He said the investigation later led operatives to Aziora community in Ozubulu, Anambra State, where Onyeka was arrested.
Beyond the cocaine seizures, NDLEA also intercepted 43,980 capsules of tramadol concealed inside modified vehicle fuel tanks along the Wukari–Zaki Biam Road in Taraba State.
The suspect, Daniel Harrison Ugwuoke, 30, was allegedly transporting the consignment from Onitsha when he was arrested.
In Kaduna State, operatives arrested Boniface Agu, 65, and Monday Nwaeze, 50, after recovering 1.7 kilogrammes of methamphetamine during a raid in Gwantu.
Another 231.7 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered in Ebonyi State from Francis Eja, 65.
In Plateau State, operatives arrested Alhaji Babani, 75, with 15 kilogrammes of skunk at Kurgwi in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area.
Similarly, in Gombe State, officers arrested Dahiru Mohammed, 65, and Isiya Lawan, 36, with 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 556 kilogrammes during an intelligence-led operation at Kuri village in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area.
Alongside the enforcement operations, the agency said it continued its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign with sensitisation programmes in schools and communities across Anambra, Enugu, Ogun and Kano states.
Commending officers involved in the operations, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), praised commands across the country for combining aggressive drug supply reduction with sustained public education campaigns.
The agency said the latest operations reflect its continued intelligence-driven efforts to dismantle transnational drug trafficking networks and curb the use of increasingly sophisticated concealment techniques.
Michael Olugbode
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