Nigerian-British woman arrested with 13kg cocaine concealed in plantain peels

 A 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandma, Mrs. Mary Yetunde Barek, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following the discovery of 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed in peels of plantain which appeared as real plantains and packed among other food items in her luggage at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.

A statement from the agency says the suspect who works as a caregiver in the United Kingdom was arrested at the departure hall of terminal 2 of the Lagos airport while attempting to board a Virgin Atlantic airline flight to London on Sunday 28th June 2026. 

‘’A thorough search of her bags resulted in the discovery of 31 big wraps of cocaine which were packaged to appear like plantain hands, weighing a total of 13 kilograms. In her statement, the elderly woman admitted full ownership of the recovered cocaine exhibits.''