NDLEA Arrests Grandma with Cocaine Hidden in Fake Plantains, Seizes Tramadol Concealed in Fuel Tanks

Segun Atanda/

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother at Lagos airport after allegedly discovering 13 kilogrammes of cocaine ingeniously concealed inside fake plantain peels, while also intercepting nearly 44,000 capsules of tramadol hidden in the fuel tanks of two vehicles in Taraba State.

The twin operations, announced by the agency on Sunday, highlight what officials described as the increasingly sophisticated methods being adopted by drug trafficking syndicates to evade law enforcement.

The elderly suspect, Mrs Mary Yetunde Barek, who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, was arrested 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.

According to the NDLEA, a thorough search of her luggage led to the discovery of 31 large wraps of cocaine carefully packaged to resemble fresh plantain hands and concealed among other food items.

The illicit consignment weighed a total of 13 kilogrammes.

The agency said Barek admitted ownership of the cocaine during interrogation.

In a separate intelligence-led operation on Saturday, July 4, NDLEA operatives arrested 30-year-old Daniel Harrison Ugwuoke along the Zaki Biam Road in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State.

The agency said officers recovered 43,980 capsules of tramadol concealed inside the fuel tanks of two vehicles travelling from Onitsha, Anambra State.

The arrests formed part of a nationwide crackdown that also uncovered cocaine hidden inside cartons of herbal drinks destined for Malaysia and resulted in multiple arrests across several states.

In Anambra State, the agency arrested a 45-year-old PhD student at the University of Putra, Malaysia, Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, over the seizure of 5.8 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed within the walls of nine cartons of Orijin bitters prepared for export to Kuala Lumpur.

The NDLEA said Onyeka was identified as the alleged leader of the trafficking syndicate after investigators arrested four other suspects in Lagos, including a cargo agent, a driver, a trader at ASPANDA Market in Trade Fair Complex, and another accomplice who allegedly supplied the cartons used to conceal the drugs.

Elsewhere, operatives arrested two suspects in Kaduna State with 1.7 kilogrammes of methamphetamine, while another suspect was apprehended in Ebonyi State with 231.7 kilogrammes of skunk.

In Plateau State, officers arrested a 75-year-old man allegedly found with 15 kilogrammes of skunk, while in Gombe State two suspects were arrested with 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 556 kilogrammes.

Commenting on the operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Taraba, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Plateau and Gombe Commands for what he described as their successful arrests and seizures.

Marwa said the agency remained committed to simultaneously reducing the supply of illicit drugs while sustaining its War Against Drug Abuse enlightenment campaign across schools, workplaces, places of worship and communities nationwide.

He urged officers across the country to continue raising the operational standard in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse.