The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has smashed an international drug cartel operating between Nigeria, the UK, Brazil, Australia, and the UAE.
The Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi disclosed this in a press release on the NDLEA official Facebook page on Sunday.
According to Babafemi, NDLEA has over two weeks arrested three cartel leaders and seized large drug shipments bound for Australia and other countries.
The statement revealed that the bust started on August 26 at Lagos airport when officers found 17.9kg of cocaine hidden in textile materials destined for Sydney, worth about N5.3 billion. The first arrest was Olashupo Michael Oladimeji, a freight agent.
“Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) who in a two-week-long intelligence-led operation across parts of Lagos arrested three leaders of the cartel after intercepting a large consignment of cocaine concealed in textile materials and local charms going to Sydney, Australia at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.
“The unravelling 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.
“A thorough search of the shipment led to the recovery of 16 big blocks of cocaine weighing 17.9 kilograms hidden in the lace materials parked with local charms to provide spiritual cover against law enforcement detection,” the statement read in part.
NDLEA’s further investigation led to the arrests of cartel heads Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi and Shola Adegoke.
Ogunbiyi’s Lagos home yielded cannabis, a pump action gun, and vehicles linked to drug operations, while Adegoke was previously jailed in the UK for methamphetamine trafficking.
NDLEA also seized 24,480 tramadol pills from a suspect at Lagos airport, and intercepted 160,200 bottles of codeine syrup worth over N1.1 billion at Port Harcourt port.
Other raids across Lagos, Abuja, Kogi, and Taraba states yielded large quantities of cannabis in various strains, and plantations were destroyed.
The Chairman of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa praised the officers involved and urged intensified efforts in the drug war.
