NDLEA, US-DEA Smash Transnational Drug Syndicate, Arrest Billionaire Drug Baron, Two Female Kingpins
Oru Leonard
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), working in collaboration with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (US-DEA) and other international law enforcement agencies, has dismantled a major transnational criminal network involved in drug money laundering operations worth hundreds of billions of naira across Europe and Nigeria.
The operation, which spanned multiple countries and lasted several months, led to the arrest of an alleged billionaire drug baron, Amadi Simon, in Switzerland, alongside two female associates identified as 34-year-old Jecinta Amara Ikechi and 28-year-old Blessing Ngozi Amadi.
According to the NDLEA, Jecinta was arrested in Anambra State, while Blessing was apprehended in Agbor, Delta State, during coordinated operations carried out on April 28, 2026.
The anti-narcotics agency disclosed that the suspects were linked to a sophisticated international drug trafficking and money laundering syndicate with operations stretching across Europe and Nigeria.
Investigations conducted jointly by the NDLEA Special Operations Unit, the US-DEA Lagos Country Office, and law enforcement agencies from Switzerland, France, and Greece uncovered an elaborate network of shell companies, front businesses, cryptocurrency wallets, and multiple bank accounts allegedly used to conceal and launder illicit drug proceeds.
The agency further revealed that several high-value properties connected to the syndicate have been identified and linked to proceeds of drug trafficking activities.
Among the properties traced to the network are Jovi Hotel located at Isiayei Street, GRA Phase 1, Asaba, Delta State; Jovi Hotel and Suites situated along Orikeze Road, Agbor, Delta State; and Jovi Apartment at Jamieson Court, Mabushi, Abuja.
NDLEA said several bank accounts and cryptocurrency addresses connected to the syndicate have also been identified and blocked as part of ongoing financial investigations.
Speaking on the operation, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, described the successful crackdown as a strong signal of the agency’s zero-tolerance stance against narcotics trafficking and financial crimes.
Marwa said the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of strategic international collaboration in combating organised criminal networks.
He commended the support of the US-DEA and other international partners, noting that cooperation with the United States Mission in Nigeria has strengthened the agency’s capabilities in intelligence gathering, evidence collection, tactical operations, and case management.
“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 stated.
He added that the agency is committed to ensuring that Nigeria does not become “a haven for drug traffickers who profit from illicit substances nor a sanctuary for their criminal proceeds.”
The NDLEA assured that investigations into the network and recovery of additional assets linked to the syndicate are ongoing.
