The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a major international organised criminal group (IOCG) operating across Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates, arresting three of its leaders in Lagos.
The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the two-week-long intelligence-led operation followed the interception of a large cocaine consignment concealed in textile materials and local charms at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, en route Sydney, Australia.
According to the NDLEA, the breakthrough began on 26 August 2025, when operatives intercepted 76 cartons of textile materials destined for Sydney. A search uncovered 16 large blocks of cocaine weighing 17.9kg, hidden in lace fabrics alongside charms intended to provide “spiritual cover” against detection. The shipment, valued at over AU$5.3 million (approximately ₦5.3 billion), led to the arrest of freight agent and syndicate member, Olashupo Michael Oladimeji.
Further investigations exposed other leaders of the cartel, including Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi and Shola Adegoke. Ogunbiyi, identified as the Nigerian coordinator, was arrested at a hotel in Ikeja GRA. A search of his Lekki residence yielded 21 parcels of Canadian Loud (10.90kg), a double-barrelled pump-action gun, and cartridges.
At another property on Reverend Ogunbiyi Street, Ikeja GRA—allegedly the cartel’s packaging hub—NDLEA operatives apprehended Adegoke. A black Range Rover SUV (RBC 459 EJ) parked in the compound contained 17 parcels of Loud (9.60kg), while a black Toyota Venza (FST 771 JQ), earlier seized from Ogunbiyi, was also tied to the operation.
The NDLEA revealed that the cartel’s overall ringleader is one Adebisi Ademola Omoyele, also known as Mr Bee, currently hiding in Dubai. Adegoke, one of the arrested kingpins, was previously jailed in the United Kingdom in 2021 for methamphetamine trafficking and deported to Nigeria in 2024, while Ogunbiyi had served 14 years in the UK for murder before returning to Nigeria.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives arrested Gabriel Michael, a Milan-based Nigerian, at the MMIA Terminal 1 while attempting to board an Air France flight to Italy. He was found with 24,480 tramadol pills (100mg, 200mg, and 225mg), which he admitted were to be sold for €19,520.
Similarly, in Rivers State, a joint operation involving the NDLEA, Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies uncovered 160,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup hidden in a 40-foot container of ceramic sanitary ware at the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT), Onne. The seizure, valued at more than ₦1.1 billion, was tracked by NDLEA’s special operations unit.
In Taraba State, NDLEA officers destroyed 18,750kg of skunk cultivated on 7.5 hectares of cannabis plantations in Joro-Ade village, Ardo Kola Local Government Area. Two suspected farm owners, Mako Zmar (55) and Sani Titus (45), were arrested during the operation.
The NDLEA described the coordinated operations as a major victory against transnational drug cartels, reaffirming its commitment to dismantling criminal networks threatening Nigeria’s security and global reputation.
