The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman after operatives allegedly discovered 13 kilograms of cocaine in her luggage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The agency said the suspect, who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, was arrested at Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport while preparing to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London.
NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.
According to the agency, the cocaine was concealed in fake plantain peels designed to look like real plantains and packed among other food items.
Babafemi said a detailed search of the suspect’s luggage led to the recovery of 31 large wraps of cocaine.
He said the wraps, which were packaged to resemble plantain hands, weighed a total of 13 kilograms.
The NDLEA spokesperson said the suspect admitted ownership of the seized drugs during questioning.
In another operation, NDLEA operatives arrested a 45-year-old PhD student of the University of Putra, Malaysia, in connection with a cocaine shipment intercepted in Lagos.
The agency said the suspect was arrested in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State after investigators traced him to his village in Aziora, Ozubulu.
According to NDLEA, the case began after operatives intercepted 36 parcels of cocaine weighing 5.80 kilograms.
The cocaine was allegedly hidden inside the walls of nine cartons of Orijin bitters, which formed part of a consolidated cargo shipment heading to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Babafemi said four suspects were initially arrested in different parts of Lagos during the investigation.
They included a driver who allegedly transported the consignment to a cargo agent, a trader at ASPANDA Market in the Trade Fair Complex, Lagos, and another accomplice accused of supplying the cartons used for concealment.
The agency said further investigation led to the arrest of the suspected leader of the syndicate in Anambra State.
In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives arrested a suspect along Zaki-Biam Road in Wukari Local Government Area after recovering 43,980 capsules of tramadol.
The agency said the capsules were hidden inside two vehicle fuel tanks while the vehicle was travelling from Onitsha in Anambra State.
In Kaduna State, two suspects were arrested during a raid in Gwantu, where officers allegedly recovered 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine.
NDLEA operatives also arrested a 65-year-old suspect in Ikwo, Ebonyi State, with 231.7 kilograms of skunk.
In Plateau State, a 75-year-old man was arrested at Kurgwi in Qua’anpan Local Government Area with 15 kilograms of skunk.
The agency also reported a major cannabis seizure in Gombe State, where two suspects were arrested at Kuri village in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area.
According to NDLEA, the suspects were found with 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 556 kilograms.
Babafemi said NDLEA commands across the country also continued their War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation activities during the week.
He said the campaigns were taken to schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities as part of efforts to discourage drug abuse and trafficking.
Some of the schools visited included Girls Secondary School, Abagana, Anambra State; Government Technical College, Obe, Enugu State; Adeola Odutola College, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State; and FCE Staff Demonstration School, Kabuga, Kano State.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, retired, commended officers of the MMIA, Taraba, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Plateau and Gombe commands for the arrests and seizures.
Marwa urged officers and men of the agency to sustain the tempo of operations against drug trafficking networks across the country.
The latest arrests add to NDLEA’s ongoing nationwide crackdown on cocaine trafficking, tramadol distribution, methamphetamine movement and cannabis supply chains.
