The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, after operatives allegedly discovered 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside fake plantain peels packed in her luggage.
The suspect, identified as Mary Yetunde Barek, was intercepted while preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London in what the anti-drug agency described as another major breakthrough in its campaign against international drug trafficking.
According to the NDLEA, a thorough search of the woman’s bags led to the discovery of 31 large wraps of cocainecarefully moulded to resemble fresh hands of plantain and hidden among food items in her luggage.
The agency said the recovered cocaine weighed a total of 13 kilograms and alleged that the suspect admitted ownership of the illicit drugs during interrogation.
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi disclosed that the suspect, who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport during the operation.
In a separate operation, the agency also dismantled an alleged international drug trafficking syndicate after tracing and arresting a 45-year-old PhD student of the University of Putra, Malaysia, identified as Nwabueze Felix Onyeka.
Investigators alleged that Onyeka masterminded an attempt to export 5.8 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside the walls of nine cartons of Orijin Bitters destined for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The NDLEA said four other suspects had earlier been arrested in Lagos before investigations led operatives to Onyeka’s hideout in Anambra State.
In another operation in Taraba State, operatives reportedly recovered 43,980 capsules of Tramadol concealed inside specially modified fuel tanks of a vehicle during a routine patrol.
The agency said the arrests underscore its continued efforts to dismantle local and international drug trafficking networks operating within and outside Nigeria.