By Mick Oseji, Asaba
Operatives of the Special Operations Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), working closely with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Lagos Country Office and law enforcement agencies from Switzerland, France, and Greece, have dismantled a transnational criminal organisation involved in drug money laundering operations worth hundreds of billions of naira across Europe and Nigeria.
The multi-country investigation culminated in the coordinated arrest of a billionaire drug baron, Amadi Simon, in Switzerland, alongside his alleged accomplices — 34-year-old Jecinta Amara Ikechi in Anambra State and 28-year-old Blessing Ngozi Amadi in Agbor, Delta State — on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
The arrests followed months of intelligence gathering and investigations across multiple jurisdictions, linking Amadi to the laundering of proceeds from drug trafficking and other financial crimes.
In addition to the arrests, the NDLEA, in collaboration with its international partners, traced and identified multi-billion-naira assets allegedly connected to Amadi’s criminal network in Nigeria and abroad.
Investigators said the syndicate operated an elaborate laundering scheme involving front and shell companies, proxies, delegates, and multiple traditional and cryptocurrency accounts used to conceal illicit funds.
Properties already identified as proceeds of the illicit operation include Jovi Hotel, located at 1 Isiayei Street, GRA Phase 1, Asaba, Delta State; Jovi Hotel and Suites at 4 Orikeze, off Deeper Life Road, Agbor, Delta State; and Jovi Apartment at Jamieson Court, Mabushi, Abuja.
Several bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets allegedly used by the cartel to move and conceal hundreds of billions of naira have also been identified and blocked.
Speaking on the operation, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the successful multi-country crackdown sends a strong warning to criminal networks operating across borders.
He stated that the agency maintains a “zero-tolerance policy toward crimes that jeopardise the safety of Nigerians, the integrity of the country’s reputation, and the stability of the economy.”
Marwa commended the support of the US-DEA and other international partners in dismantling the syndicate, noting that the U.S. Mission in Nigeria has consistently supported the NDLEA through intelligence training, evidence collection, case management, tactical operations, and the provision of critical equipment.
He added that the agency would continue to strengthen collaboration with international partners in the fight against narcotics trafficking and related financial crimes.
“The NDLEA remains relentless in its pursuit of those involved in narcotics trafficking and associated financial crimes, regardless of where they attempt to hide,” Marwa said.
“Built on strategic partnerships, unwavering integrity, and professionalism, the NDLEA is committed to ensuring that Nigeria is neither a haven for drug traffickers nor a sanctuary for their criminal proceeds.”
