NDLEA Arrests 67-Year-Old in Major Cocaine Bust

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intensified its nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking networks, resulting in the arrest of a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman, Mr. Mari Barek, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

She was apprehended while attempting to smuggle 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed within fresh plantain peel in her luggage as she prepared to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London. During interrogation, she admitted ownership of the cocaine.

Additionally, the NDLEA dismantled a drug syndicate allegedly led by Nwabuez Onyeka, a 45-year-old PhD student at Universiti Putra Malaysia. This operation led to the interception of 36 parcels of cocaine weighing 5.8 kilograms, hidden in cartons of herbal alcohol destined for Kuala Lumpur.

The agency also seized large quantities of tramadol, cannabis, and methamphetamine across various states, arresting multiple suspects involved in these operations.