LAGOS — Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother, Mrs. Mary Yetunde Barek, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that the suspect, who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, was intercepted on Sunday, June 28, 2026, while attempting to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London. A thorough search of her luggage uncovered 31 large wraps of cocaine weighing 13 kilograms, meticulously concealed inside realistic-looking plantain peels.
In a parallel breakthrough, a sting operation in Anambra State led to the arrest of 45-year-old Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, a PhD student at the University of Putra, Malaysia. Nwabueze was unmasked as the mastermind behind a syndicate trying to ship 5.80 kilograms of cocaine to Malaysia. The drugs were hidden within the double walls of nine Orijin bitters cartons. Five other suspects were arrested in connection with the cross-border operation.
Furthermore, massive drug sweeps across Taraba, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Plateau, and Gombe states resulted in the recovery of large quantities of tramadol, methamphetamine, and over 556 kilograms of cannabis. Notable among those arrested are a 75-year-old grandfather in Plateau and a 65-year-old suspect in Ebonyi.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers for balancing aggressive drug supply reduction with War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaigns nationwide.
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