By Nkechi Eze
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have dismantled a transnational criminal organization involved in large-scale drug money laundering operations spanning Nigeria and several European countries, leading to the arrest of an alleged billionaire drug baron and his associates.
According to an official signed statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, the operation was carried out by a Special Operations Unit of the Agency in close coordination with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration Lagos Country Office, as well as law enforcement authorities from Switzerland, France and Greece.
The multi-country investigation culminated in the simultaneous arrest of the alleged kingpin, Amadi Simon, in Switzerland, alongside two of his suspected accomplices identified as 34-year-old Jecinta Amara Ikechi, arrested in Anambra State, and 28-year-old Blessing Ngozi Amadi, apprehended in Agbor, Delta State, on Tuesday, 28 April 2026.
The NDLEA disclosed that the arrests followed months of intelligence gathering and investigations across multiple jurisdictions which linked the suspects to the laundering of hundreds of billions of Naira generated from drug trafficking and other financial crimes.
Investigators also uncovered a vast network of assets allegedly linked to the criminal syndicate in Nigeria and abroad. The Agency said the suspect operated an elaborate system involving front and shell companies, delegates, pass-through accounts and multiple cryptocurrency wallets used to conceal and launder illicit proceeds.
Among the properties already identified as suspected proceeds of drug-related crimes are Jovi Hotel located at 1 Isiayei Street, GRA Phase 1, Asaba, Delta State; Jovi Hotel and Suites situated at 4 Orikeze by Deeper Life Road, Agbor, Delta State; and Jovi Apartment at Jamieson Court, Mabushi, Abuja.
The Agency further revealed that several bank accounts and cryptocurrency addresses linked to the cartel and allegedly used to conceal hundreds of billions of Naira have been identified and blocked as part of ongoing investigations.
Speaking on the successful operation, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), said the outcome of the multi-year and multi-country investigation demonstrated the Agency’s zero tolerance for crimes capable of undermining national security, economic stability and Nigeria’s international reputation.
Marwa commended the support and collaboration of the United States DEA and other international partners in dismantling the syndicate, noting that the United States Mission to Nigeria has continued to support the NDLEA through training in intelligence gathering, evidence collection, case management and tactical operations, as well as the provision of critical operational equipment.
He assured that the NDLEA would continue to strengthen international cooperation in the fight against narcotics trafficking and associated 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. Built upon a foundation of strategic partnership, unwavering integrity, and dedicated professionalism, the NDLEA is committed to ensuring that Nigeria is neither a haven for drug traffickers who profit from illicit substances nor a sanctuary for their criminal proceeds,” Marwa stated.
