The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman, Mary Yetunde Barek, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos for alleged drug trafficking.
According to the agency, the suspect, who was reportedly travelling to the United Kingdom, was intercepted at the departure hall of Terminal 2 while attempting to board a Virgin Atlantic flight. Officials said 13 kilograms of cocaine were discovered hidden inside fake plantain peels packed among other food items in her luggage.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said the concealed drugs were packaged to resemble real plantain hands, making them difficult to detect during initial inspection. He added that the suspect, who works as a caregiver in the UK, admitted ownership of the seized substances during questioning.
In a separate operation, the agency also arrested a 45-year-old PhD student linked to drug trafficking after operatives intercepted cocaine concealed in cartons of a herbal alcoholic drink being shipped to Malaysia. The suspect was later tracked to Anambra State, where he was reportedly arrested in his hometown.
NDLEA investigations further led to the arrest of several accomplices, including a cargo agent, a driver, a market trader, and another individual accused of supplying materials used to conceal the drugs.
The agency said coordinated operations across multiple states, including Lagos and Anambra, resulted in the seizure of various illicit substances, including cocaine, tramadol, methamphetamine, and cannabis, with suspects arrested in states such as Taraba, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Plateau, and Gombe.
In Gombe State alone, operatives reportedly recovered hundreds of blocks of cannabis sativa following the arrest of two suspects.
The NDLEA also stated that it continues its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse campaign, conducting sensitisation programmes in schools across several states to discourage drug misuse and trafficking.
