The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced a major breakthrough in the fight against drug trafficking, as its operatives dismantled a sophisticated international criminal organization with networks spanning Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The operation resulted in the arrest of three key figures and the seizure of a cocaine consignment valued at an estimated ₦5.3 billion.
According to a statement released on Sunday by NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, the two-week-long operation across Lagos began on August 26, 2025, when officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Ikeja intercepted 76 cartons of textile materials destined for Sydney, Australia.
A detailed search of the shipment uncovered 17.9 kilograms of cocaine cleverly concealed within lace fabrics.
The packages also contained local charms, which the syndicate allegedly used for “spiritual cover” to avoid detection by law enforcement.
The first person arrested in connection with the seizure was Olashupo Michael Oladimeji, a freight agent and member of the syndicate.
The consignment’s estimated street value in Australia was over 5.3 million Australian Dollars, which translates to approximately ₦5.3 billion.
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Further investigation led to the identification and arrest of two other senior members of the group: Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi and Shola Adegoke.
Ogunbiyi, who served as the syndicate’s arrowhead in Nigeria, was apprehended at a hotel in Ikeja on September 3.
A subsequent search of his residence in Lekki yielded 21 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing a total of 10.90 kilograms, along with a double-barreled pump-action gun and cartridges.
A black Toyota Venza was also recovered from him.A subsequent raid on a house at 13 Reverend Ogunbiyi Street, Ikeja GRA, which the group used for drug packaging, led to the arrest of Shola Adegoke.
A black Range Rover SUV found at the property contained 17 parcels of Loud weighing 9.60 kilograms.
Investigations revealed that Ogunbiyi coordinated the syndicate’s operations in Nigeria, while the ringleader, Adebisi Ademola Omoyele (also known as “Mr. Bee”), is currently in Dubai, UAE, where he oversees the network’s international activities.
The NDLEA also uncovered the criminal histories of the arrested kingpins.
Adegoke was previously jailed in the UK in 2021 for methamphetamine trafficking and was deported to Nigeria in 2024.
Ogunbiyi had served a 14-year prison sentence in the UK for a murder case before returning to Nigeria about eight years ago.
The agency continues its investigation to bring the entire network to justice.
