The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman, Yetunde Barek, for allegedly concealing 13 kilograms of cocaine inside artificial plantain peels packed with food items in her luggage.
Barek, who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, while attempting to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London.
According to the NDLEA, a thorough search of her luggage uncovered 31 large wraps of cocaine disguised to resemble fresh plantain hands, with a total weight of 13 kilograms.
The agency, in a statement released on Sunday by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said the suspect admitted ownership of the illicit consignment during interrogation.
In another major breakthrough, the anti-narcotics agency said it dismantled a drug trafficking syndicate allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine to Malaysia through a consolidated cargo shipment.
The operation culminated in the arrest of a 45-year-old doctoral student of the University of Putra, Malaysia, Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, who was identified as the alleged mastermind of the syndicate.
NDLEA said the arrest followed the interception of 36 parcels of cocaine weighing 5.8 kilograms concealed inside the walls of nine cartons of Orijin bitters destined for Kuala Lumpur.
Investigations initially led to the arrest of four suspects in Lagos, including a cargo agent, a commercial driver, a trader and another accomplice accused of supplying the cartons used to conceal the drugs.
Further intelligence and surveillance subsequently traced the alleged kingpin to his hometown in Aziora, Ozubulu, Anambra State, where he was arrested during a sting operation.
The agency also recorded significant seizures in other parts of the country.
In Taraba State, operatives arrested a 30-year-old suspect, Daniel Harrison Ugwuoke, along the Wukari-Zaki Biam Road after allegedly discovering 43,980 capsules of tramadol concealed inside two modified fuel tanks of a vehicle travelling from Onitsha, Anambra State.
In Plateau State, a 75-year-old suspect, Alhaji Babani, was arrested in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area with 15 kilograms of skunk, while another suspect, Francis Ifara Eja, 65, was apprehended in Ebonyi State with 231.7 kilograms of the same substance.
Similarly, NDLEA officers in Kaduna State arrested two suspects, Boniface Agu, 65, and Monday Nwaeze, 50, during a raid in Gwantu, recovering 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine.
In Gombe State, the agency said it intercepted 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 556 kilograms and arrested two suspects, Dahiru Mohammed, 65, and Isiya Lawan, 36, during an intelligence-led operation at Kuri village in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area.
Beyond enforcement operations, the NDLEA said it sustained its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign with sensitisation programmes in schools, workplaces, worship centres and communities across several states, including Anambra, Enugu, Ogun and Kano.
Commending officers involved in the various operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised the agency’s commands for combining aggressive drug supply reduction with preventive public enlightenment.
Marwa urged personnel nationwide to sustain the momentum in the fight against illicit drug trafficking and abuse, stressing that the agency remained committed to dismantling drug networks and protecting communities across the country.