Nigerian billionaire drug baron, two female kingpins arrested in global sting operation

Operatives of a special operations unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), working in close collaboration with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have dismantled a transnational criminal organisation involved in drug trafficking and money laundering operations worth billions of naira across Europe and Nigeria.

The operation, coordinated with law enforcement partners from Switzerland, France and Greece, led to the arrest of a suspected billionaire drug baron, Amadi Simon, in Switzerland, alongside two alleged female accomplices in Nigeria. The suspects, identified as 34-year-old Jecinta Amara Ikechi and 28-year-old Blessing Ngozi Amadi, were arrested in Anambra and Delta states respectively on April 28, 2026.

According to the NDLEA, the arrests followed months of intelligence gathering and investigations across multiple jurisdictions linking the suspects to the laundering of proceeds from drug trafficking and other financial crimes. The agency said the syndicate operated an extensive network used to move illicit funds between Europe and Nigeria.

Investigators also uncovered a complex web of front and shell companies allegedly used by the network to disguise illegal transactions. The NDLEA disclosed that the organisation relied on delegates, pass-through accounts, traditional banking channels and cryptocurrency platforms to conceal and launder funds running into hundreds of billions of naira.

As part of the operation, authorities traced and identified several multi-billion-naira assets allegedly linked to the criminal network in Nigeria and abroad. Among the properties identified were Jovi Hotel located at Isiayei Street, GRA Phase 1, Asaba, Delta State; Jovi Hotel and Suites along Orikeze Road in Agbor, Delta State; and Jovi Apartment at Jamieson Court, Mabushi, Abuja.

The agency also announced that several bank accounts and cryptocurrency addresses allegedly used by the syndicate to hide illicit proceeds had been identified and blocked as investigations continue. Officials said further efforts are ongoing to recover additional assets linked to the network.

Speaking on the operation, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, described the breakthrough as a major success in the global fight against narcotics trafficking and financial crimes. He said the operation demonstrated the agency’s zero-tolerance stance against criminal activities that threaten national security, economic stability and Nigeria’s international reputation.

Marwa commended the support received from the US-DEA and other international partners, noting that collaboration in intelligence sharing, evidence gathering, case management and tactical operations played a key role in dismantling the network. He reiterated that Nigeria would not serve as a safe haven for drug traffickers or a sanctuary for illicit wealth, assuring that the NDLEA would continue to intensify efforts to track and prosecute offenders regardless of where they operate.