NDLEA has busted an international drug cartel, arresting three kingpins and seizing narcotics worth N6.4bn in Lagos, Rivers, Abuja, Kogi, Niger, and Taraba
NDLEA Busts International Drug Cartel, Seizes N6.4bn Narcotics, Arrests Kingpins
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a major international drug cartel spanning Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates, leading to the arrest of three cartel leaders and the seizure of narcotics valued at over N6.4 billion.
The breakthrough followed the interception of 76 cartons of textile materials at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, on August 26. Hidden inside the fabrics were 17.9kg of cocaine laced with charms allegedly meant to evade detection. The drugs, worth 5.3 million Australian dollars (N5.3bn), were destined for Sydney, Australia.
The operation led to the arrest of freight agent Olashupo Michael Oladimeji, a syndicate member. Subsequent raids exposed two other kingpins: Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi, arrested in Ikeja on September 3, and Shola Adegoke, apprehended in Ikeja GRA. Recovered items included 21 parcels of Canadian Loud, a pump-action rifle with cartridges, and two luxury vehicles.
Authorities identified the cartel’s overall ringleader as Adebisi Ademola Omoyele, alias Mr. Bee, who is reportedly coordinating operations from Dubai.
Beyond Lagos, NDLEA operatives launched simultaneous nationwide crackdowns:
Rivers State: 160,200 bottles of codeine syrup worth N1.1bn hidden in ceramic sanitary wares.
Abuja: A 32-year-old dispatch rider caught with 3.1kg of Colorado.
Lagos: 625kg of cannabis seized; a couple arrested with 24.4kg of skunk in Ajegunle.
Kogi: 53.4kg of skunk intercepted in a vehicle.
Niger State: A Toyota Hilux transporting 342kg of cannabis seized.
Taraba: 7.5 hectares of cannabis farmland weighing 18,750kg destroyed, with two suspects arrested.
Additional arrests and seizures were recorded in Edo, Anambra, and Kaduna States.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), praised officers for their commitment and urged them to sustain the agency’s balanced approach of law enforcement and community engagement through the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative. Read More
