NDLEA Arrests Nigerian-British Grandmother Over 13kg Cocaine Hidden in Plantain Peels, Busts International Drug Syndicate
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 officers uncovered 13 kilogrammes of cocaine ingeniously concealed inside fake plantain peels packed among food items in her luggage.
The arrest formed part of a series of nationwide anti-narcotics operations that also led to the dismantling of an international cocaine trafficking syndicate linked to Malaysia, the arrest of a suspected PhD student identified as the mastermind of the network, the interception of thousands of tramadol capsules hidden inside vehicle fuel tanks, and the arrest of elderly suspects involved in drug trafficking across several states.
The NDLEA disclosed the operations in a statement issued on Sunday by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the agency, the Nigerian-British suspect, Mrs Mary Yetunde Barek, who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, was apprehended by NDLEA operatives at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, while attempting to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London on Sunday, June 28, 2026.
A comprehensive search of her luggage revealed 31 large wraps of cocaine, carefully packaged to resemble fresh hands of plantain and concealed among other food items. The illicit consignment weighed a total of 13 kilogrammes.
NDLEA said the elderly woman admitted ownership of the cocaine during interrogation.
In another major breakthrough, the agency uncovered an international drug trafficking syndicate attempting to smuggle cocaine to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, concealed within the walls of cartons of Orijin Bitters.
The operation culminated in the arrest of 45-year-old Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, a PhD student at the University of Putra, Malaysia, during a sting operation in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State on June 29.
His arrest followed the interception of a consolidated cargo shipment containing 36 parcels of cocaine with a combined weight of 5.80 kilogrammes. The drugs had been expertly hidden inside the walls of nine cartons of the herbal alcoholic beverage destined for Malaysia.
NDLEA investigators initially arrested four suspects in Lagos while tracing the origin of the shipment. Those arrested included cargo agent Alalade Taiwo Azeez; driver Ndem Ogbonna Kelechi, who transported the consignment; trader Okeke Tochukwu Chimezie of ASPANDA Market, Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, who handed the shipment to the driver; and Igwilo Chidi Henry, who allegedly supplied the specially modified cartons used to conceal the cocaine.
Further intelligence gathering eventually led operatives to Aziora in Ozubulu, Anambra State, where Onyeka, alleged to be the leader of the trafficking syndicate, was arrested while hiding in his village.
In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence intercepted a major consignment of tramadol on Saturday, July 4, along the Zaki-Biam Road in Wukari Local Government Area.
The agency arrested 30-year-old Daniel Harrison Ugwuoke after discovering 43,980 capsules of tramadol hidden inside two vehicle fuel tanks in a vehicle travelling from Onitsha, Anambra State.
Elsewhere, anti-narcotics officers intensified operations across the country, leading to multiple arrests and seizures.
In Kaduna State, two suspects, Boniface Agu, 65, and Monday Nwaeze, 50, were arrested during a raid at Gwantu in Gwantu Local Government Area on Thursday, July 2. Officers recovered 1.7 kilogrammes of methamphetamine from the suspects.
In Ebonyi State, operatives arrested 65-year-old Francis Ifara Eja at Ikwo on Saturday, July 4, with 231.7 kilogrammes of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis.
Similarly, in Plateau State, a 75-year-old suspect, Alhaji Babani, was apprehended at Kurgwi in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area on Friday, July 3, in possession of 15 kilogrammes of skunk.
In Gombe State, NDLEA operatives acting on intelligence arrested Dahiru Mohammed, 65, and Isiya Lawan, 36, at Kuri village in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area on Wednesday, July 1. The suspects were found with 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing a total of 556 kilogrammes.
Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign continued with sensitisation programmes conducted in schools, places of worship, workplaces and communities.
Among the institutions visited during the week were Girls Secondary School, Abagana, Anambra State; Government Technical College, Obe, Enugu State; Adeola Odutola College, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State; and the Federal College of Education Staff Demonstration School, Kabuga, Kano State.
Commending officers and personnel of the MMIA, Taraba, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Plateau and Gombe Commands for the successful arrests and seizures, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised their commitment to reducing the supply of illicit drugs while simultaneously promoting preventive drug education through the WADA campaign.
Marwa urged officers across the country to sustain the momentum and continue raising the operational standard in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.
