Nigerian-British caregiver arrested en route to London as anti-drug agency uncovers wider trafficking network, intercepts multiple shipments across states

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother, Mary Barek, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 13 kilograms of cocaine cleverly concealed in fake plantain peels at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Barek, a United Kingdom-based caregiver, was apprehended at the departure hall of Terminal 2 on Sunday, June 28, while preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London.

According to NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, a detailed search of her luggage uncovered 31 large wraps of cocaine, ingeniously packaged to resemble plantain hands and hidden among food items. The illicit consignment weighed a total of 13 kilograms.

Babafemi disclosed that the suspect admitted ownership of the drugs during interrogation.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives arrested a 45-year-old PhD student of the University of Putra, Malaysia, Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, identified as the alleged mastermind of a drug trafficking syndicate. He was tracked and apprehended in his hometown, Aziora in Ozubulu, Anambra State, on June 29.

Investigations revealed that operatives had earlier intercepted 36 parcels of cocaine weighing 5.8 kilograms concealed within the walls of nine cartons of Orijin Bitters, part of a shipment bound for Malaysia. Four suspects, including a cargo agent and logistics handlers, were initially arrested in Lagos, leading to Onyeka’s eventual capture.

NDLEA also recorded major seizures across the country. In Taraba State, operatives intercepted 43,980 capsules of Tramadol hidden in modified fuel tanks along the Zaki-Biam Road in Wukari, leading to the arrest of a suspect on July 4.

In Kaduna State, two suspects were arrested with 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine during a raid in Gwantu Local Government Area, while in Ebonyi, a 65-year-old man was caught with 231.7 kilograms of skunk.

Similarly, a 75-year-old suspect was arrested in Plateau State with 15 kilograms of skunk, while in Gombe, NDLEA operatives seized 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 556 kilograms and arrested two suspects.

Beyond enforcement, the agency said it has intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, conducting sensitisation programmes in schools, communities, workplaces, and religious centres nationwide.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers across various commands for the successful operations, urging them to sustain the momentum in both drug supply reduction and public awareness efforts.