A 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother has been arrested by Nigeria's National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos after 13 kilogrammes of cocaine were discovered concealed in plantain peels packed among other food items in her luggage.
The suspect, who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the Lagos Airport on Sunday, June 28, while attempting to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London, according to NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
A thorough search of her bags led to the discovery of 31 large wraps of cocaine, packaged to appear like plantain hands, weighing a total of 13 kilogrammes. In her statement, the elderly woman admitted full ownership of the recovered cocaine exhibits, Mr Babafemi said.
In a separate operation in Anambra State, NDLEA operatives arrested a 45-year-old PhD student at the University of Putra, Malaysia, in connection with 5.80 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in the walls of nine cartons of Orijin bitters, a herbal drink. The consignment was part of a consolidated cargo heading to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The arrest of the suspect followed the interception of 36 parcels of cocaine with a gross weight of 5.80 kilogrammes concealed within the walls of the cartons. Four suspects were initially arrested in parts of Lagos during the investigation, including a driver who delivered the consignment to a cargo agent, a trader at the ASPANDA market, and an accomplice who supplied the cartons used to conceal the cocaine. The investigation eventually led to the main suspect, who was hiding in his village at Aziora, Ozubulu, Anambra State.
In Taraba State, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence arrested a suspect with 43,980 capsules of Tramadol concealed inside two vehicle fuel tanks along the Zaki-Biam road in Wukari Local Government Area, while the consignment was being transported from Onitsha, Anambra State.
A 65-year-old suspect was also arrested in Kaduna State with 1.7 kilogrammes of methamphetamine during a raid operation at Gwantu, while a 75-year-old grandfather was nabbed in Plateau State with 15 kilogrammes of skunk, and another suspect in Ebonyi State was found with 231.7 kilogrammes of skunk.
In Gombe State, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects at Kuri village, Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area, where they were found with 587 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 556 kilogrammes.
The NDLEA also continued its War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, workplaces and communities across the country, including visits to schools in Anambra, Enugu, Ogun, and Kano States.
NDLEA Chairman, Buba Marwa, commended the officers involved in the operations and tasked them to continue raising the operational bar.
