NDLEA Arrests Nigerian-British Grandmother with 13kg Cocaine Hidden in Fake Plantain Peels

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

According to the NDLEA, the suspect, a UK-based caregiver, was intercepted while preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London. Officers reportedly discovered 31 wraps of cocaine disguised as plantain and hidden among food items in her luggage.

In a related operation, the agency also arrested a Malaysian university PhD student and several other suspects linked to an international drug trafficking syndicate. Additional raids across Taraba, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Plateau, and Gombe states led to the seizure of large quantities of cocaine, tramadol, methamphetamine, and cannabis.

NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.) commended officers for the successful operations and urged them to sustain both enforcement efforts and nationwide anti-drug awareness campaigns.

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