By Omoyeni Ojeifo
In an intelligence-led operation, operatives of the Special Operations Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in collaboration with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Lagos Country Office as well as partners from Switzerland, France, and Greece, have dismantled a transnational criminal organisation involved in drug money laundering operations running into hundreds of billions of naira across Europe and Nigeria.
A 34-year-old Jecinta Amara Ikechi in Anambra State and 28-year-old Blessing Ngozi Amadi in Agbor, Delta State were among those arrested, alongside a billionaire drug baron, Amadi Simon, in Switzerland, as the multi-country investigation culminated in a simultaneous operation on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
According to a statement by the Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, emailed to Persecondnews on Thursday, the arrests followed months of intelligence gathering and coordinated investigations across multiple countries linking Amadi to the laundering of proceeds from drug and financial crimes.
Amadi’s operations in Nigeria included a complex scheme of front and shell companies, pass-throughs and delegates, and the use of numerous traditional and cryptocurrency accounts to conceal and launder illicit funds.
The agency said properties identified and linked to Amadi Simon as proceeds of illicit drug funds include Jovi Hotel at 1 Isiayei Street, GRA Phase 1, Asaba, Delta State; Jovi Hotel and Suites at 4 Orikeze by Deeper Life Road, Agbor, Delta State; as well as Jovi Apartment at Jamieson Court, Mabushi, Abuja, while several bank accounts and cryptocurrency addresses used by the cartel to conceal hundreds of billions of naira in illicit funds have also been identified and blocked.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, while speaking on the organized efforts of the NDLEA, the United States DEA, and other international partners, said: “The success of this multi-country and multi-year operation has sent a clear message that the NDLEA maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward crimes that jeopardize the safety of the Nigerian people, the integrity of our national reputation, and the stability of our economy.”
He expressed gratitude for the support received from the US-DEA to crack and dismantle Amadi’s transnational criminal network.
Im addition, he said that the U.S. Mission to Nigeria has continued to partner with the agency to combat narcotics trafficking through training in intelligence, evidence collection, case management, and tactical operations, as well as the provision of critical equipment.
The Chairman reiterated the NDLEA’s commitment to the pursuit of narcotics trafficking and associated financial crime, regardless of where they attempt to hide, stressing that Nigeria is neither a haven for drug traffickers who profit from illicit substances nor a sanctuary for their criminal proceeds.
Marwa assured that the agency will continue to expand its cooperation with the United States and other international partners.
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