Lagos, Nigeria — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman, Mrs. Mary Yetunde Barek, after operatives discovered 13 kilograms of cocaine cleverly disguised as plantain peels in her luggage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.
The Arrest
Barek was intercepted at the departure hall of Terminal 2 on Sunday, June 28, 2026, as she prepared to board a Virgin Atlantic flight bound for London. A caregiver based in the United Kingdom, she had packed her luggage with food items to help the illicit consignment slip past inspection.
NDLEA operatives, acting on a routine but thorough search, uncovered 31 large wraps of cocaine that had been expertly moulded to resemble hands of plantain. The total haul weighed 13 kilograms. According to the agency, Barek admitted ownership of the drugs during interrogation.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
Part of a Wider Crackdown
The Lagos arrest was one of several the NDLEA announced as part of a nationwide sweep against drug trafficking networks:
- Malaysia-bound shipment intercepted: A 45-year-old PhD student at the University of Putra, Malaysia, Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, was arrested as the alleged mastermind behind a plot to smuggle 5.8 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside the walls of nine cartons of Orijin Bitters, destined for Kuala Lumpur. Four accomplices — a cargo agent, a driver, a trader, and a carton supplier — were arrested in Lagos before investigators traced Onyeka to his hometown of Aziora, Ozubulu, in Anambra State.
- Tramadol seizure in Taraba: A 30-year-old suspect, Daniel Harrison Ugwuoke, was arrested along the Zaki-Biam Road in Wukari Local Government Area with 43,980 capsules of tramadol concealed inside two modified vehicle fuel tanks.
- Methamphetamine bust in Kaduna: Two suspects, Boniface Agu (65) and Monday Nwaeze (50), were arrested during a raid in Gwantu with 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine.
- Large cannabis seizures: Other operations in Ebonyi, Plateau, and Gombe states led to the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of skunk and cannabis sativa, with several suspects in their 60s and 70s among those arrested.
Agency Response
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across the various commands involved in the operations, describing the agency’s approach as a balance between drug supply reduction and public sensitization efforts. He urged personnel nationwide to sustain the momentum in the fight against illicit drug trafficking.
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