By Omodele Adigun
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has smashed a transnational cartel with criminal links across Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates, arresting three kingpins and seizing narcotics valued at more than ₦6.4 billion.
Spokesman of the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi, confirmed on Sunday that the operation began on 26 August 2025 at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, where officers intercepted 76 cartons of textile materials heading for Sydney, Australia. Concealed in the fabrics were 17.9kg of cocaine, hidden alongside local charms allegedly intended to shield traffickers from detection.
A freight agent, Mr Olashupo Michael Oladimeji, was first taken into custody. Investigations led to the arrest of Mr Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi, described as the cartel’s Nigerian coordinator, at an Ikeja GRA hotel. A search of his Lekki residence uncovered 21 parcels of Canadian Loud (10.9kg) and a pump-action rifle.
Another leader, Mr Shola Adegoke, was captured during a raid on a packaging hub at Ikeja GRA, where officers seized 9.6kg of Loud from a Range Rover SUV.
Babafemi disclosed that the cartel’s ringleader, identified as Mr Adebisi Ademola Omoyele, alias Mr Bee, currently operates from Dubai. Records show Adegoke previously served a UK jail term for methamphetamine trafficking, while Ogunbiyi had served 14 years in Britain for murder before returning to Nigeria.
The crackdown extended beyond Lagos. At Onne Port in Rivers State, operatives seized 160,200 bottles of codeine syrup worth ₦1.1 billion from a 40-foot container. Nationwide raids also yielded 653kg of cannabis derivatives.
Key arrests included a Milan-based Nigerian, Mr Gabriel Michael, at Lagos Airport with 24,480 tramadol pills; a dispatch rider in Abuja caught with 3.1kg of Colorado; and a couple in Ajegunle, Lagos, found with 24.4kg of skunk.
Other highlights were the recovery of 625kg of Loud and Colorado from a distribution hub in Surulere, Lagos, and the destruction of 18.7 tonnes of cannabis farms in Taraba State.
Chairman of the NDLEA, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (rtd.), commended the officers for dismantling the network, stressing that the agency will intensify its “balanced approach” of enforcement and advocacy under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative.
“This operation reaffirms our zero tolerance for drug barons who think they can turn Nigeria into a hub for narcotics,” Marwa declared.
