The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled an international cocaine trafficking cartel allegedly using Nigeria as a transit hub for moving illicit drugs to the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia.
Key Highlights
- NDLEA dismantles cocaine cartel
- 184.5kg cocaine seized
- Nigerian cartel leader arrested
- Drug network linked to UK
- International arrests coordinated
The agency also arrested the Nigerian alleged leader of the syndicate, Afolabi Kazeem Michael, popularly known as “KC Luxury,” as he attempted to flee the country.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), disclosed this while addressing journalists in Lagos on Tuesday.
Marwa said the operation began with the interception of 184.50 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in a consignment being processed for export through a courier logistics company in Lagos.
According to him, the consignment had an estimated street value of N39 billion.
Following the seizure, Marwa said he directed the constitution of a special investigation team to uncover the entire network behind the shipment, including the couriers, intermediaries and masterminds.
The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of two key suspects, including Lawal Mujab Kehinde, a staff member of the logistics company through which the cocaine consignment was processed.
The NDLEA said Kehinde had a sustained relationship with the cartel’s Nigerian coordinator and allegedly packaged and processed consignments for the syndicate before routing them to the UK, Europe and Asia.
He was also allegedly paid in cash for his role.
The second suspect, Afolabi, was identified by investigators as the alleged Nigerian arrowhead of the cartel.
The agency said Afolabi presented himself publicly as a social media influencer and businessman dealing in gold, jewellery and other luxury goods, while allegedly operating a cocaine trafficking network.
Marwa said Afolabi was arrested on August 13, 2026, at the boarding gate of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
He said the arrest followed intelligence that the suspect planned to leave Nigeria on a business-class flight to Paris, and that operatives recovered €7,750, £2,800 and N100,000 in cash from the suspect, alongside expensive jewellery.
A subsequent search of his luxury apartment on Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, also led to the recovery of exotic vehicles, according to the NDLEA boss.
Marwa said investigations revealed that the cartel allegedly used false identities to conceal the real consignors of its shipments and relied on financial facilitators to move billions of naira on its behalf.
He added that the syndicate maintained active criminal contacts in the United Kingdom, with some members already arrested by British authorities in connection with the same network.
The NDLEA chairman described the operation as one of the agency’s most significant recent investigations and said it demonstrated the growing importance of international cooperation in tackling transnational drug trafficking.
He linked the development to recent operations that resulted in the dismantling of the Switzerland-based Simon Amadi drug cartel, which allegedly laundered millions of dollars through dark-web marketplaces.
He also cited the takedown of two Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine syndicates operating clandestine laboratories in forests in Ogun and Oyo states.
Marwa said drug trafficking organisations were increasingly shifting from seaports and airports to courier and logistics companies following intensified scrutiny at major entry and exit points.
“There is no alternative route into or out of Nigeria for illicit drugs that this Agency cannot police,” he said.
He added that the latest operation demonstrated the agency’s ability to track drug traffickers regardless of whether they operated from luxury apartments, forests, ports or courier companies.
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Marwa commended the Special Investigation Team, coordinated by the Director of Operations and General Investigation, as well as international partners involved in the operation.
He said the near-simultaneous arrests of members of the cartel in Nigeria and the UK represented a major success in international law enforcement cooperation.
“To those who believe they can hide behind luxury brands, glamorous lifestyles, and social media personas while trafficking poison into our communities and across our borders, this Agency will find you,” Marwa said.
“It does not matter how well-connected, how wealthy, or how far you attempt to run. As this case demonstrates, we will track you to the departure gate if we must.”
The NDLEA said it remained committed to preventing Nigeria from being used as a transit route for illicit drugs and protecting communities from the activities of international drug trafficking organisations.
