NDLEA arrests grandmother over 13 kilograms of cocaine wrapped in plantain peels
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother identified as Mrs. Mary Yetunde Barek after the agency’s operatives discovered 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed in plantain peels in her laugage at the Muritala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. The suspect was arrested at the departure hall of terminal 2, during her attempt to board a Virgin Atlantic Flight to London, where she works as a caregiver on Sunday, 28th June.
An extensive search of her laugage revealed 31 large cocaine wraps, weighing 13 kilograms in total, carefully concealed to appear as bunches of plantain. The suspect confessed to being the owner of the confiscated cocaine.
Meanwhile, in a sting operation by the Agency’s operatives in Ekwusigo LGA of Anambra State on June 29, Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, a 45 year-old PhD student at the University of Putra, Malaysia was arrested after the interception of 5.80 kilograms of cocaine stored in the walls of nine cartons of Origin Bitters, in the possession of the suspect. The illegal consignment was designated to be sent to Kaula Lumpur, Malaysia.
Four suspects had earlier been arrested in Lagos, following investigation of the case. The four suspects are identified as Alalade Taiwo Azeez, Ndem Ogbonna Kelechi, Okeke Tochukwu Chimezie, Igwilo Chidi Henry who were the driver of the illegal consignment, a trader, the delivery person to ASPANDA market Trade Fair Complex, Lagos where the drug was handed to the driver and the supplier of the origin cartons used to conceal the drugs respectively.
The investigation led to the arrest of Nwabueze, who was found hiding in his hometown of Aziora, Ozubulu, Anambra and identified him as the alleged leader of the drug syndicate.
Similarly, operations were carried by the agency in Kaduna, Ebonyi and Gombe leading to the arrests of suspects in possession of illegal consignments.
The NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) applauded the efforts of the operatives in reducing drug supply, while maintaining WADA sensitization activities. He also encouraged officers across the nation to uphold the operational standards of the agency.
