43-Year-Old Makeup Artist, Who Claimed She Was Travelling To India For Fibroid Surgery, Has Been Arrested By NDLEA Operatives For Attempting To Smuggle 2.20 Kilograms Of Cocaine Concealed In Her Suitcase.

A 43-year-old makeup artist, Adekoya Mary, who claimed she was travelling to India for fibroid surgery, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, for attempting to smuggle 2.20 kilograms of cocaine concealed in her suitcase.

The arrest, which occurred on Monday, June 16, 2025, followed credible intelligence.

A statement released on Sunday by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said Adekoya was placed under surveillance and allowed to check in her luggage before being apprehended at the boarding gate of her Qatar Airways flight to India via Doha.

Upon inspection, Babafemi said NDLEA officers found two large parcels of cocaine factory-fitted inside the walls of her suitcase.

He said during interrogation, the suspect confessed to embarking on the trip under the guise of seeking medical attention but was in fact, motivated by financial incentives.

“When her luggage was searched, two large parcels of cocaine weighing 2.20kg were found concealed in the walls of the suitcase she was carrying.

“In her statement, she claimed she embarked on the trip for financial benefits but under the pretext of going to India for surgery to remove fibroid from her stomach.

“Further investigation revealed the suspect was recruited and funded by a drug baron currently at large, Akeem Ayinde Adekanbi who owns Rockford Hotel located in Sango area of Ogun state while he lives at Igbe Laara in Igbogbo area of Ikorodu, Lagos state”, the statement added.

Source: Punch

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