A Special Operations Unit of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), working jointly with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Lagos Country Office and law enforcement agencies from Switzerland, France, and Greece, has broken up a cross-border criminal network accused of laundering drug proceeds worth hundreds of billions of Naira across Nigeria and Europe.
The joint international investigation reached its peak on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, with the coordinated simultaneous arrests of alleged billionaire drug kingpin Amadi Simon in Switzerland, along with two suspected accomplices — Jecinta Amara Ikechi, 34, in Anambra State, and Blessing Ngozi Amadi, 28, in Agbor, Delta State.
According to the NDLEA, the arrests followed several months of intelligence gathering and cross-jurisdictional investigations that established links between Amadi and the laundering of hundreds of billions of Naira derived from drug trafficking and other financial crimes.
Beyond the arrests, the agency and its international partners have traced assets across Nigeria and overseas that are allegedly connected to Amadi’s criminal network. His domestic operations reportedly involved an elaborate web of front and shell companies, intermediaries, and a mix of conventional bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets used to disguise and move illicit funds.
Properties already tied to Amadi as suspected proceeds of drug money include Jovi Hotel on Isiayei Street, GRA Phase 1, Asaba, Delta State; Jovi Hotel and Suites on Orikeze by Deeper Life Road, Agbor, Delta State; and Jovi Apartment at Jamieson Court, Mabushi, Abuja. Multiple bank accounts and cryptocurrency addresses linked to the cartel have also been identified and frozen.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the outcome of the multi-year, multi-country operation as a firm demonstration of the agency’s zero-tolerance stance on crimes that threaten public safety, Nigeria’s international standing, and economic stability. He acknowledged the sustained support of the US DEA, noting that the partnership has included training in intelligence, evidence handling, case management, and tactical operations, as well as the provision of key equipment.
Marwa reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to deepening cooperation with the United States and other global partners, warning that the NDLEA would pursue drug traffickers and financial criminals regardless of where they sought refuge. He pledged that Nigeria would not become a base for narcotics networks or a safe harbour for their illicit earnings.
