Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother Mary Yetunde Barek after allegedly discovering 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside fake plantain peels in her luggage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja, Lagos.
According to the NDLEA, Barek, who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom, was arrested at the departure hall of Terminal 2 on Sunday, June 28, while attempting to board a Virgin Atlantic flight to London.
A search of her luggage allegedly uncovered 31 large wraps of cocaine disguised as hands of plantain and hidden among other food items.
NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi said the fake plantain peels were designed to closely resemble real plantains in an apparent attempt to evade airport security checks.
The recovered cocaine weighed a total of 13 kilograms. Babafemi said Barek admitted ownership of the recovered drugs during interrogation.
The arrest formed part of a series of nationwide anti-narcotics operations announced by the NDLEA.
The agency said it remains committed to dismantling international drug trafficking networks using Nigerian airports and other transport routes, while urging members of the public to continue providing intelligence to assist law enforcement efforts.
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