The Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company (NDLEA) has dismantled two drug cartels linked to 6 cocaine consignments destined for the UK, following a sequence of operations throughout Lagos State.
Based on an announcement launched on Sunday by NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the operations have been carried out over three weeks and led to the arrest of six suspects, together with the alleged ringleader, Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode.
Babafemi mentioned the operation started on September 16, 2025, when NDLEA officers on the Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport (MMIA), Lagos, intercepted 174 parcels of cocaine weighing 13.4 kilogrammes. The medication have been hid in cocoa butter physique cream containers meant for export.
He defined that preliminary investigation led to the arrest of a cargo agent, whose confession helped hint the cargo to Ode. The suspect was later arrested with the cooperation of the police after he allegedly reported a separate matter on the Zone 2 Police Headquarters in Lagos.
“Throughout his preliminary interview, Alhaji Hammed Ode admitted possession of the consignment, which he claimed he purchased for over ₦150 million. He described himself as a businessman and property developer, having returned to Nigeria in 2024 after spending 27 years in a number of European international locations, together with Austria, the Netherlands, France, Germany, and the UK,” Babafemi acknowledged.
The NDLEA spokesman additional disclosed that two different suspects, Ogunbiyi Oluseye Taiwo and Popoola Francis Olumuyiwa, have been arrested after officers intercepted further cocaine-laden consignments on October 2, 2025. The medication have been hidden in crayfish packages and stainless cups.
“One of many consignments contained 12 stainless cups used to hide one kilogram of cocaine, whereas the second contained 36 containers of hair cream concealing 1.6 kilograms of cocaine,” Babafemi mentioned.
He added that the arrests kind a part of an ongoing effort by the company to curb the trafficking of illicit substances by Nigeria’s airports and seaports.
The NDLEA mentioned investigations into the broader community of the syndicates have been ongoing.
