By Emmanuel Onyedika
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have 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 the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Barek, a caregiver based in the United Kingdom, was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal 2 while preparing to board a flight to London. NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said officers discovered 31 parcels of cocaine disguised as plantain and hidden among food items in her luggage. The suspect admitted ownership of the drugs during interrogation.
In a separate operation, NDLEA arrested a Malaysian-based Nigerian PhD student, Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, over an alleged attempt to ship cocaine concealed inside cartons of Orijin Bitters to Kuala Lumpur. Investigators tracked Onyeka to his hometown in Ozubulu, Anambra State, where he was arrested on June 29. The arrest followed the interception of 36 parcels of cocaine weighing 5.8 kilograms hidden inside nine cartons of the herbal drink. Four other suspects, including a cargo agent, a driver, a trader, and a supplier, had earlier been arrested in Lagos during investigations.
Elsewhere, NDLEA operatives intercepted 43,980 capsules of Tramadol hidden inside specially modified fuel tanks of a vehicle along the Zaki-Biam Road in Wukari LGA, Taraba State. A 30-year-old suspect, Daniel Harrison Ugwuoke, was arrested in connection with the seizure.
In Kaduna State, officers raided a location in Gwantu and arrested two suspects, Boniface Agu (65) and Monday Nwaeze (50), with 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine.
The agency also reported major drug seizures in Ebonyi, Plateau, and Gombe States. In Ebonyi, a 65-year-old suspect, Francis Ifara Eja, was arrested with 231.7 kilograms of skunk. In Plateau, a 75-year-old man, Alhaji Babani, was caught with 15 kilograms of the same substance. In Gombe, two suspects were arrested after operatives recovered 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 556 kilograms.
The NDLEA said the arrests and seizures reflect its intensified nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking networks.