By Abubakar Yunus
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman, Mrs Mary Yetunde Barek, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 13 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in fake plantain peels through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
The agency said the suspect, who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, was intercepted at the departure hall of Terminal 2 while preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London on June 28.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, officers recovered 31 large wraps of cocaine carefully packaged to resemble fresh hands of plantain and hidden among food items in the suspect’s luggage.
Babafemi said the illicit drugs weighed 13 kilogrammes, adding that the suspect admitted ownership of the consignment during interrogation.
In a related operation, the agency dismantled a cocaine trafficking syndicate following the arrest of a 45-year-old PhD student of the University of Putra, Malaysia, Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The suspect was arrested after NDLEA operatives intercepted 36 parcels of cocaine weighing 5.8 kilogrammes concealed inside the walls of nine cartons of Orijin Bitters in a cargo shipment bound for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Babafemi said investigations initially led to the arrest of four suspects in Lagos, including a cargo agent, a driver, a trader and another accomplice who supplied the specially modified cartons.
He added that intelligence gathered from the suspects eventually exposed Onyeka as the alleged leader of the drug syndicate, leading to his arrest at his village in Aziora, Ozubulu, Anambra State.
The anti-narcotics agency also recorded major seizures in other parts of the country.
In Taraba State, operatives arrested a 30-year-old suspect, Daniel Harrison Ugwuoke, along the Zaki-Biam-Wukari Road with 43,980 capsules of tramadol concealed inside two vehicle fuel tanks.
In Kaduna State, two suspects, Boniface Agu, 65, and Monday Nwaeze, 50, were apprehended with 1.7 kilogrammes of methamphetamine during a raid in Gwantu.
Similarly, a 65-year-old suspect, Francis Ifara Eja, was arrested with 231.7 kilogrammes of skunk in Ikwo, Ebonyi State, while a 75-year-old man, Alhaji Babani, was found with 15 kilogrammes of skunk in Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State.
In Gombe State, NDLEA operatives arrested Dahiru Mohammed, 65, and Isiya Lawan, 36, with 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 556 kilogrammes at Kuri village in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area.
Commending officers involved in the operations, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), praised commands in Lagos, Taraba, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Plateau and Gombe for sustaining the agency’s campaign against illicit drug trafficking.
He urged operatives nationwide to intensify efforts in reducing drug supply while sustaining the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaign across schools, workplaces, worship centres and communities.