The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled an international cocaine trafficking cartel allegedly using Nigeria as a transit hub to move illicit drugs to the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia….
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled an international cocaine trafficking cartel allegedly using Nigeria as a transit hub to move illicit drugs to the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia.
The agency said it arrested the Nigerian alleged kingpin of the syndicate, Afolabi Kazeem Michael, popularly known as “KC Luxury”, as he attempted to leave the country on a business-class flight to Paris.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), disclosed the development while addressing journalists in Lagos on Tuesday.
Marwa described the operation as one of the agency’s most significant narcotics investigations in recent years, saying it resulted in the largest cocaine seizure recorded through a courier company in Nigeria.
The investigation began after NDLEA intercepted 184.50kg of cocaine concealed in a consignment being processed through a courier logistics channel in Lagos.
The agency said the shipment had an estimated street value of ₦39 billion and was destined for onward distribution through an international network.
Following the seizure, Marwa ordered the establishment of a Special Investigation Team to trace the couriers, intermediaries and masterminds behind the consignment.
Working with the management of the courier company, investigators uncovered several intermediary companies and individuals allegedly used by the cartel to process and move its shipments.
One of the suspects arrested was Lawal Mujab Kehinde, a staff member of the logistics company through which the cocaine was processed.
According to the NDLEA, Kehinde maintained a direct relationship with the cartel’s Nigerian coordinator and allegedly packaged and processed consignments destined for the UK, other parts of Europe and Asia in return for cash payments.
Investigators subsequently identified Afolabi, known online as “KC Luxury”, as the alleged Nigerian arrowhead of the operation.
The agency said Afolabi presented himself publicly as a social media influencer and businessman dealing in gold, jewellery and luxury goods, while allegedly using the image to conceal his involvement in international cocaine trafficking.
Marwa said NDLEA operatives moved to arrest Afolabi after receiving intelligence that he planned to flee Nigeria.
“This cartel leader did not walk into our custody voluntarily,” Marwa said.
He said Afolabi was arrested at the boarding gate of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on the night of 13 August as he attempted to board a business-class flight to Paris.
NDLEA said he was found with €7,750, £2,800 and ₦100,000 in cash, as well as expensive jewellery.
A subsequent search of his luxury apartment on Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, led to the recovery of exotic vehicles, according to the agency.
Investigators also discovered that the cartel allegedly used false identities to conceal the real consignors of its shipments and relied on financial facilitators to move billions of naira on its behalf.
The agency said the syndicate maintained criminal links in the United Kingdom, with some alleged members arrested by British authorities in connection with the same network.
Marwa described the arrests in Nigeria and the UK as evidence of effective international cooperation in the fight against transnational drug trafficking.
He commended the agency’s international partners and members of the Special Investigation Team for their role in dismantling the network.
The NDLEA chairman said the operation also highlighted a growing trend among drug trafficking organisations to move narcotics through courier and logistics companies rather than traditional routes such as seaports and airports.
He said traffickers appeared to regard courier companies as less heavily monitored channels, but warned that the agency was capable of tracking them regardless of the route they used.
“The dismantling of this cartel, from the interception of the consignment at a courier logistics channel right through to the arrest of its Nigerian arrowhead, is a clear demonstration that this Agency has both the capacity and the capability to fish out traffickers wherever they choose to hide,” Marwa said.
He added: “There is no alternative route into or out of Nigeria for illicit drugs that this Agency cannot police.”
Marwa linked the latest operation to other recent NDLEA successes against transnational drug networks, including the dismantling of a Switzerland-based cartel allegedly involved in laundering millions of dollars through dark-web marketplaces.
He also cited the disruption of two Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine syndicates operating clandestine laboratories in forests in Ogun and Oyo states.
“These operations send an unmistakable signal that this Agency’s reach extends into the ports, the forests, the luxury apartments, and the departure lounges alike, and that no sanctuary exists anywhere in Nigeria for those who traffic in poison,” he said.
The NDLEA boss warned individuals who attempt to conceal drug trafficking behind luxury lifestyles and social media influence that the agency would continue to pursue them.
“To those who believe they can hide behind luxury brands, glamorous lifestyles, and social media personas while trafficking poison into our communities and across our borders, this Agency will find you,” he said.
The agency said investigations into the cartel are ongoing, with further arrests and prosecutions expected as investigators trace other members and financial networks linked to the syndicate.
Marwa assured Nigerians that the NDLEA would continue working with domestic and international partners to prevent Nigeria from being used as a transit route for illicit drugs and to protect communities from the consequences of narcotics trafficking.
