A 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after operatives uncovered 13 kilograms of cocaine ingeniously concealed inside fake plantain peels at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
The suspect, identified as Mrs. Mary Yetunde Barek, was apprehended on Sunday, June 28, while preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight from Lagos to London.
According to the NDLEA, the suspect, who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, had packed the illicit drug alongside other food items in her luggage to avoid detection.
During a detailed search at the departure hall of Terminal 2, officers discovered 31 large wraps of cocaine disguised as fresh plantain hands. The seized drugs weighed a total of 13 kilograms.
Investigators said Barek admitted ownership of the cocaine during interrogation.
The arrest came as the anti-narcotics agency intensified efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks using increasingly sophisticated concealment methods.
Reacting to the operation, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers of the MMIA Command for the successful interception.
He also praised commands across the country for sustaining the agency’s twin strategy of drug supply reduction and public awareness campaigns.
Marwa “noted their drug supply reduction efforts balanced with WADA sensitization activities while he charged them and their compatriots across the country to continue to raise the operational bar.”
