Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have smashed an international organised criminal group (IOCG) operating between Nigeria, the UK, Brazil, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.

A statement by the NDLEA director, media and advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja, stated that it was done in a two-week-long intelligence-led operation across parts of Lagos.

Mr Babafemi said that the NDLEA operatives arrested three leaders of the cartel, after intercepting a large consignment of cocaine concealed in textile materials and local charms.

He said that the consignment, which was going to Sydney, Australia, was intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

Mr Babafemi noted that the unravelling of the drug syndicate began on Tuesday, Aug. 26, after NDLEA officers at the export shed of the Lagos airport intercepted 76 cartons of textile materials, going to Australia.

According to him, a thorough search of the shipment led to the recovery of 16 big blocks of cocaine, weighing 17.9 kilogrammes.

Mr Babafemi said that they were hidden in the lace materials parked with local charms, to provide spiritual cover against law enforcement detection.

He added that a freight agent and member of the syndicate was the first to be arrested.

According to him, the consignment is expected to fetch the syndicate an estimated street value of over 5.3 million Australian dollars, an equivalent of N5.3 billion.

He stated that a fast-paced investigation of the operations of the IOCG quickly unmasked other leaders of the group.

“Ogunbiyi, who is the arrowhead of the syndicate in Nigeria, was arrested at a hotel in Ikeja GRA on Wednesday, Sept. 3 and swiftly taken to his house in the Lekki area of Lagos.

“This is where a search led to the recovery of 21 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis with a total weight of 10.90kg and a double-barrelled pump action gun, with some cartridges.

“A house located at 13 Reverend Ogunbiyi Street, Ikeja GRA, where the criminal group used to package illicit drugs for export, was subsequently raided and another leader of the syndicate, one Shola Adegoke, was arrested there.

“A black Range Rover SUV marked RBC 459 EJ found in the compound was also searched and 17 parcels of Loud weighing 9.60 kilograms were recovered.

“A black Toyota Venza car with registration number FST 771 JQ was earlier recovered from Ogunbiyi at the point of his arrest at the hotel,” he said.

Mr Babafemi said that further investigations also revealed that while Mr Ogunbiyi coordinated operations for the group in Nigeria, one Adebisi Omoyele (Mr. Bee), currently hibernating in Dubai,  was identified as the ringleader of the criminal network, who coordinated their overseas operations.

He added that Mr Adegoke was found to have been jailed in the UK in 2021 for dealing in Methamphetamine and subsequently deported to Nigeria in 2024.

“Ogunbiyi was also found to have served a 14-year jail term in the UK over a murder case, before returning to Nigeria about eight years ago,” he said.

Reacting, the NDLEA chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of MMIA Command of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week.

Mr Marwa enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to intensify the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.

(NAN)