The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has successfully dismantled an international organized criminal group with networks spanning Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The agency’s operatives arrested three kingpins and intercepted a cocaine consignment worth ₦5.3 billion, concealed in lace fabrics alongside local charms meant to provide “spiritual cover” against detection.
The operation began on August 26, 2025, when NDLEA officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos intercepted 76 cartons of textile materials bound for Sydney, Australia, containing 17.9 kilograms of cocaine.
A freight agent and member of the syndicate, Olashupo Michael Oladimeji, was the first to be arrested.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Muaezee Ademola Ogunbiyi, the syndicate’s coordinator in Nigeria, and Shola Adegoke, another leader of the group.
Ogunbiyi was found to have served a 14-year jail term in the UK for murder, while Adegoke was jailed in the UK in 2021 for dealing in methamphetamine and deported to Nigeria in 2024.
The NDLEA also recovered other illicit substances, including cannabis, and firearms during the operation. According to the agency, Adebisi Ademola Omoyele, aka “Mr. Bee,” currently in Dubai, UAE, is the ringleader of the criminal network, coordinating overseas operations.
