Nigeria NDLEA Nationwide Drug Busts

The Nigeria — National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has conducted a series of nationwide operations, leading to multiple arrests and significant drug seizures. A key arrest involved Mary Barek, a 67-year-old Nigerian-British grandmother, who was apprehended at Kuwait — Kuwait International Airport for attempting to smuggle 13 kilograms of cocaine concealed in fake plantain peels on a Virgin Atlantic flight to the United Kingdom. In a separate major operation, Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, a 45-year-old PhD student at University of Putra Malaysia, was arrested as the alleged leader of a syndicate attempting to export 5.8 kilograms of cocaine to Malaysia — Kuala Lumpur High Court, Malaysia, hidden in Orijin Bitters cartons. Four other suspects, including a cargo agent, driver, trader, and carton supplier, were also arrested in connection with this syndicate. Additionally, the NDLEA made several other seizures across Nigeria, including 43,980 capsules of Tramadol in Taraba State, 1.7 kilograms of Methamphetamine in Kaduna State, 231.7 kilograms of Skunk in Ebonyi State, 15 kilograms of Skunk in Plateau State, and 556 kilograms of Cannabis in Gombe State. The agency's Chairman, Mohammed Buba Marwa, commended the officers for their efforts in both drug supply reduction and public awareness campaigns through the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative.