The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, after operatives allegedly discovered 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed in packages designed to resemble plantain.
The suspect, identified as Mary Barek, was apprehended at the departure terminal while preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London.
According to the NDLEA, officers who searched her luggage recovered 31 packages of cocaine disguised as plantain and packed alongside food items in an apparent attempt to evade detection.
The agency said the suspect admitted ownership of the illicit consignment during interrogation.
In a separate operation, the NDLEA said it dismantled a drug trafficking network allegedly involved in concealing cocaine inside cartons of Orijin Bitters destined for Malaysia.
The agency identified the alleged syndicate leader as 45-year-old Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, described as a doctoral student at the University of Putra, Malaysia. He was arrested in Ozubulu, Anambra State, after investigators traced him following earlier arrests linked to the shipment.
According to the agency, operatives had initially intercepted 36 parcels of cocaine weighing 5.8 kilograms hidden within specially modified cartons of the herbal drink that formed part of a cargo consignment bound for Kuala Lumpur.
Four other suspects were arrested during the investigation, including a cargo agent, a commercial driver, a trader and a supplier of the cartons allegedly used to conceal the drugs.
The NDLEA also reported several arrests in other parts of the country as part of its ongoing anti-drug operations.
In Taraba State, operatives arrested a 30-year-old suspect along the Zaki-Biam Road in Wukari Local Government Area after recovering 43,980 capsules of Tramadol concealed inside specially modified fuel tanks of a vehicle.
In Kaduna State, two suspects aged 65 and 50 were arrested during a raid in Gwantu, where officers allegedly recovered 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine.
In Ebonyi State, a 65-year-old man was apprehended with 231.7 kilograms of skunk at Ikwo, while another suspect, aged 75, was arrested in Plateau State with 15 kilograms of the same substance.
The agency also disclosed that operatives in Gombe State intercepted 587 blocks of cannabis weighing 556 kilograms during an operation at Kuri village in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure.
Beyond enforcement activities, the NDLEA said it continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through awareness programmes conducted in schools, workplaces, places of worship and communities across several states.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers involved in the recent operations and urged commands nationwide to sustain efforts to curb drug trafficking while strengthening public sensitization on the dangers of illicit drug abuse.
