The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a major transnational drug cartel operating between Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Australia, arresting key members and seizing large consignments of illicit substances.
The agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed in a statement on Monday that the breakthrough followed months of painstaking intelligence-led operations coordinated by NDLEA’s Directorate of Operations and General Investigations.
According to the agency, the cartel specialized in trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine concealed in cargo shipments and courier parcels destined for Europe, South America, and Oceania.
“Acting on credible intelligence, our operatives intercepted multiple consignments at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and Apapa seaport. Several coordinated raids led to the arrest of principal members of the network responsible for coordinating shipments to the UK, Brazil, and Australia,” Babafemi said.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers for what he described as “a significant victory” against organized crime syndicates attempting to use Nigeria as a hub for international drug trafficking.
He stressed that the arrests would disrupt supply chains and send a strong message to cartels that Nigeria would not tolerate the export or import of illicit drugs through its borders.
Preliminary investigations, according to the NDLEA, revealed that the cartel maintained safe houses in Lagos and Abuja, where drugs were repackaged before shipment. Several suspects are already in custody and will face prosecution under Nigeria’s anti-narcotics laws.
Security experts hailed the operation as a milestone, noting that international collaboration with foreign enforcement agencies was critical to tracking and dismantling such transnational networks.
The NDLEA assured that it is working with its partners in the UK, Brazil, and Australia to trace accomplices abroad and ensure that every member of the cartel faces justice.
