Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman, Mary Yetunde Barek, after intercepting 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed in fake plantain peels at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

The suspect, who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, was apprehended on June 28, 2026, while attempting to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London. A search of her luggage uncovered 31 wraps of cocaine disguised as plantain and packed alongside food items. She reportedly admitted ownership of the illicit drugs during interrogation.

In a related operation, NDLEA operatives dismantled a cocaine trafficking syndicate linked to a Malaysia-bound shipment. The agency arrested Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, a 45-year-old PhD student at the University of Putra, Malaysia, in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State after intercepting 5.8 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside the walls of nine cartons of Orijin bitters destined for Kuala Lumpur.

The arrest followed investigations that earlier led to the apprehension of four suspects in Lagos, including a cargo agent, a driver, a trader, and an accomplice who allegedly supplied the specially modified cartons used to conceal the drugs. Further intelligence identified Onyeka as the alleged leader of the trafficking network.

In Taraba State, operatives arrested 30-year-old Daniel Harrison Ugwuoke along the Zaki-Biam–Wukari Road after discovering 43,980 capsules of tramadol hidden inside two vehicle fuel tanks.

In Kaduna State, two suspects, Boniface Agu, 65, and Monday Nwaeze, 50, were arrested during a raid in Gwantu with 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine.

Similarly, operatives in Ebonyi State arrested 65-year-old Francis Ifara Eja with 231.7 kilograms of skunk, while a 75-year-old suspect, Alhaji Babani, was apprehended in Qua'an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State with 15 kilograms of skunk.

In Gombe State, NDLEA officers acting on intelligence arrested Dahiru Mohammed, 65, and Isiya Lawan, 36, at Kuri Village in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area, where they recovered 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 556 kilograms.

Beyond enforcement operations, the agency said it continued its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, conducting sensitisation programmes in schools and communities across Anambra, Enugu, Ogun, Kano and other states.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the operations and urged personnel nationwide to sustain efforts aimed at reducing drug trafficking while intensifying public awareness campaigns against drug abuse.