NDLEA intercepts Malaysia-bound cocaine hidden in Orijin bitters cartons

Nigeria's National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has disrupted a significant drug trafficking operation, arresting a 45-year-old PhD student allegedly attempting to export 5.8 kilograms of cocaine to Malaysia. The drugs were concealed within cartons of Orijin Bitters, a popular alcoholic beverage.

The student, Nwabueze Felix Onyeka, who studies at the University of Putra in Malaysia, was apprehended in Anambra State following a sting operation. The NDLEA's investigation initially led to the arrest of four suspects in Lagos, including a cargo agent, a driver, a trader, and a supplier, before operatives tracked Onyeka to his village.

In a separate high-profile bust, a 67-year-old Nigerian-British woman, Mary Yetunde Barek, was arrested at Lagos's Murtala Muhammed International Airport. She was found with 13 kilograms of cocaine meticulously packaged to resemble plantain hands and hidden within her luggage. Barek, who works as a caregiver in the UK, admitted to owning the drugs.

The NDLEA's intensified efforts also led to seizures and arrests in other states. In Taraba State, 43,980 Tramadol capsules were recovered. Kaduna State saw the arrest of two suspects with 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, while Ebonyi and Plateau states yielded significant quantities of skunk, a type of cannabis, from elderly suspects.