A major international anti-narcotics operation involving the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and security agencies across Europe has led to the dismantling of an extensive transnational drug money laundering network allegedly linked to illicit proceeds worth hundreds of billions of naira.
The coordinated operation resulted in the arrest of an alleged billionaire drug baron, Amadi Simon, in Switzerland, alongside two suspected female associates, Jecinta Ikechi and Blessing Amadi, who were apprehended in Anambra and Delta states respectively.
According to the NDLEA, the operation represents one of the agency’s most significant international financial crime breakthroughs in recent years. Investigations reportedly spanned several jurisdictions, including Switzerland, France, Greece and Nigeria, following months of intelligence gathering and inter-agency collaboration.
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, in a statement issued on Thursday, said the syndicate allegedly operated a sophisticated international network used to launder proceeds from narcotics trafficking and related financial crimes through shell companies, proxy bank accounts, cryptocurrency wallets and business fronts spread across Europe and Nigeria.
Investigators disclosed that the suspects were arrested during simultaneous operations conducted on April 28, 2026, by operatives of the NDLEA Special Operations Unit in collaboration with the DEA Lagos Country Office and other foreign law enforcement agencies.
Authorities also revealed that multiple high-value assets connected to the syndicate had been identified both within and outside Nigeria.
Among the properties reportedly traced to the network are Jovi Hotel, Jovi Hotel and Suites and Jovi Apartment.
The NDLEA further confirmed that several bank accounts and cryptocurrency addresses allegedly used to conceal illicit funds had been identified and frozen as part of ongoing asset recovery efforts.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, said the successful operation demonstrated the agency’s growing international intelligence and enforcement capabilities aimed at dismantling global narcotics and financial crime networks.
Marwa stated that the operation sends a strong message to drug traffickers and criminal financiers that Nigeria would no longer serve as a safe haven for illicit drug proceeds.
“The NDLEA remains relentless in its pursuit of those involved in narcotics trafficking and associated financial crimes, regardless of where they attempt to hide,” he said.
He added that the agency’s successes were driven by “strategic partnership, unwavering integrity, and dedicated professionalism,” stressing that Nigeria would not become a refuge for drug traffickers or their criminal wealth.
The NDLEA boss also commended the support of the DEA and other international partners, noting that sustained cooperation in intelligence sharing, tactical operations, evidence gathering and training had significantly enhanced Nigeria’s anti-narcotics enforcement capacity.
The latest crackdown comes amid intensified global efforts to disrupt international drug trafficking syndicates increasingly relying on cryptocurrency platforms, cross-border financial systems and luxury real estate investments to conceal illicit proceeds.
