The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully dismantled two major cocaine cartels responsible for six shipments destined for the United Kingdom. The coordinated operations took place over three weeks in Lagos, resulting in the arrest of six suspects, including the alleged kingpin, Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode.
The crackdown began on September 16, 2025, when NDLEA officers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport intercepted 174 parcels of cocaine weighing 13.4 kilograms concealed inside cocoa butter body cream containers. Subsequent investigations linked the shipment to Ode, a businessman and real estate developer who admitted ownership during interrogation, claiming to have purchased the drugs for over ₦150 million.
Additional seizures included cocaine hidden in stainless steel cups, hair gel containers, and crayfish shipments. Suspects Ogunbiyi Oluseye Taiwo and Popoola Francis Olumuyiwa were arrested in connection with these consignments.
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi noted similar successes in disrupting other drug trafficking activities, including the interception of cannabis and the arrest of several local dealers in Lagos and Kano States.
The operations underscore NDLEA’s intensified efforts to stem the flow of illicit narcotics from Nigeria to international markets and dismantle organized drug syndicates.