Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman, Mary Barek, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed in fake plantain peels through Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
According to the agency, the suspect was intercepted while attempting to board a flight to London, where officers discovered 31 packages of cocaine disguised as plantain inside her luggage.
The NDLEA also announced the arrest of Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, a PhD student at the University of Putra Malaysia, accused of leading a drug trafficking syndicate after investigators linked him to 5.8 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside cartons of Orijin Bitters destined for Kuala Lumpur.
Four other suspects were arrested during the investigation before Onyeka was apprehended in Anambra State.
The agency said its nationwide operations also led to several major drug seizures, including 43,980 Tramadol capsules hidden inside modified fuel tanks in Taraba State, 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine recovered in Kaduna State, 231.7 kilograms of skunk seized in Ebonyi State, 15 kilograms of skunk recovered in Plateau State, and 556 kilograms of cannabis intercepted in Gombe State. Beyond enforcement activities, the NDLEA said it continues to expand its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign through awareness programmes in schools, workplaces, places of worship, and communities across the country to strengthen public education and drug prevention efforts.
