NDLEA Smashes Drug Cartel, Arrests 3 Kingpins, Seizes N5.3bn Australia-Bound Cocaine
By Bukar BOLORI
An international organized criminal group (IOCG) operating between Nigeria, United Kingdom (UK), Brazil, Australia, and the United Arab Emirate (UAE) made up of mainly ex-jailbirds in overseas prisons has been smashed by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, the anti- narcotics agency in a two-week-long intelligence-led operations across parts of Lagos arrested three leaders of the cartel after intercepting large consignment of cocaine concealed in textile materials and local charms going to Sydney, Australia at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Babafemi said the unraveling of the drug syndicate began on Tuesday 26th August 2025 after NDLEA officers at the export shed of the Lagos airport intercepted 76 cartons of textile materials going to Sydney, Australia, noting that a thorough search of the shipment led to the recovery of 16 big blocks of cocaine weighing 17.9 kilogrammes hidden in the lace materials parked with local charms to provide spiritual cover against law enforcement detection.
He disclosed that a freight agent and member of the syndicate, Olashupo Oladimeji was the first to be arrested. The consignment was expected to fetch the syndicate an estimated street value of over 5.3 million Australian Dollars, equivalent of N5.3 billion.
He said fast-paced investigation of the operations of the IOCG quickly unmasked other leaders of the group: Muaezee Ogunbiyi and Shola Adegoke, stating that Ogunbiyi, who is the arrowhead of the syndicate in Nigeria, was arrested at a hotel in Ikeja GRA last Wednesday and swiftly taken to his house in Lekki area of Lagos where a search led to the recovery of 21 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis with a total weight of 10.9 kilogrammes and a double-barreled pump action gun, with some cartridges.
Babafemi said a house located at 13 Reverend Ogunbiyi Street, Ikeja GRA, where the criminal group use to package illicit drugs for export was subsequently raided and another leader of the syndicate Shola Adegoke arrested there, adding that a black Range Rover SUV marked RBC 459 EJ found in the compound was searched and 17 parcels of Loud weighing 9.6 kilogrammes were recovered. A black Toyota Venza car with registration number FST 771 JQ was earlier recovered from Ogunbiyi at the point of his arrest at the hotel.
He said investigations revealed that while Ogunbiyi coordinates operations for the group in Nigeria, one Adebisi Omoyele (Mr. Bee) who is currently hibernating in Dubai, UAE is identified as the ringleader of the criminal network who coordinates their overseas operations. Shola Adegoke was found to have been jailed in the UK in 2021 for dealing in Methamphetamine and subsequently deported to Nigeria in 2024. Ogunbiyi was also found to have served a 14-year-jail term in the UK over a murder case before returning to Nigeria about eight years ago.
Meanwhile, a Milan Italy-based Nigerian Gabriel Michael was last Friday arrested by NDLEA operatives at the departure hall of terminal 1 of the Lagos airport while attempting to board an Air France flight to Italy. He was found to have concealed a total of 24,480 pills of tramadol 100mg, 200mg and 225mg, which he claimed he was going to sell for 19,520 euros.
Babafemi said a total of 160,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup were discovered in a 40ft container during a joint examination of the shipment by NDLEA officers and men of Nigeria Customs and other security agencies at the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers state last Thursday. The container which has 220 cartons of ceramic sanitary wares used as cover for the codeine syrup was one of the shipments watch-listed and tracked by a special operations unit of NDLEA while the illicit consignment has an estimated street value of over N1.1 billion.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, NDLEA operatives on a stop and search operation last Thursday arrested a dispatch rider Joel Bernard, 32, in Gwarimpa area of the city while conveying 3.1 kilogrammes Colorado, a synthetic strain of cannabis.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives acting on credible intelligence on Monday 1st September arrested the duo of Tunde Ayinla, 47, and Olawale Omotare, 54, while loading four distribution vehicles at their 28 Ola Street, Ijesha Surulere home. Recovered from them include: 9 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud; 5 kilogrammes of Colorado and 1,101 compressed blocks of Ghana Loud weighing 611 kilogrammes, bringing the total weight of the combined seizures to 625 kilogrammes.
In another raid in Lagos, operatives last Friday arrested a couple: Andy David, 43, and Andy Esther, 44, with 24.4kg of skunk, a strain of cannabis, recovered from their home in Ajegunle area of the state; while 45-year-old Musa Isah was arrested with 53.400 kilogrammes skunk concealed in two cartons in the trunk of his Toyota Avensus car marked ABC 338 SS in Kogi state, Yunusa Zakari, 23, was nabbed in a follow up operation in Auchi, Edo state last Friday in connection with the earlier seizure of 233 kilogrammes skunk in Kakau, Kaduna state.
Babafemi said, not less than 11,000 pills of tramadol were recovered from a suspect Ayouk Nelson, 28, when he was arrested by NDLEA operatives last Wednesday at 61 Bida road, Onitsha, Anambra State, just as operatives on patrol along Minna-Bida road Niger state last Tuesday intercepted a white Toyota Hilux vehicle, when searched 30 bags of skunk weighing 342 kilogrammes were found and subsequently seized, while the driver Afolayan Ayodele, 54, conveying the consignment was arrested.
In Taraba state, a total of 18,750 kilogrammes of skunk were destroyed on 7.5 hectares of cannabis plantations at Joro-Ade village, Ardo Kola local government area last Tuesday. Owners of the two farms: Mako Zmar, 55, and Sani Titus, 45, have were arrested during the operation.
The spokesman said across the country, NDLEA commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the past week.
Meanwhile, while commending the officers and men of MMIA, PHPC, Lagos, FCT, Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Kogi, and Niger commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to intensify the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.
